Darkest Before Dawn
by writer168
Summary: At five, she was considered a prodigy and taken under Ibiki's wing. At thirteen, she requested a leave of absence from Konoha. At eighteen, she's back and ready to take on anything that comes her way. Sakura Haruno was not a person to cross.
1. Prolouge

Sometimes, I envy Naruto and Sasuke. Whenever they cry, feel pain, break down... they have people to fall back on. People that will never leave them. Their families.

Naruto's father is the Fourth Hokage, Minato- a man respected by everyone in Konoha. If not his father, then he had his mother to turn to. Kushina, a beautiful red-haired woman with a fiery spirit and the person Naruto probably got his personality from. It didn't matter if he held the Kyuubi inside. Nobody could ever hate the Fourth's son. Nobody could ever hate Naruto Namikaze.

Then there was Sasuke. He had an entire clan of skilled ninja at his back. If that didn't help, he'd always have his older brother, Itachi. It was no secret that Itachi loved his little brother, and would stop at nothing to ensure Sasuke's safety. He complains to me sometimes, saying that he's always coddled, always worried on.

At least he had a family.

Me, I have nothing. When I was five, my parents went on a mission and never returned. Days later, I was told that they were found deep in Grass Country- dead. It was expected for me to be transferred to an orphanage or foster home, but I declined. I didn't want to be taken care of by anyone else besides my parents. Hokage-sama allowed me to live alone and off the funds my parents had saved for me in the future.

It was lonely the first few nights. Sometimes I would wake up from a nightmare and run around the apartment trying to find my mom or my dad. Then I would remember. They were dead. Gone. And they wouldn't come back. I would crawl back into bed, wrap myself in my sheets, and cry myself to sleep.

When I turned eight, I stopped crying myself to sleep. In fact, I stopped crying over every little thing, then joined the Academy. Through my years studying to be a shinobi, I had always been the smartest one in class. But it didn't matter. I was an outcast who didn't make any friends save for Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuuga, and Naruto Namikaze.

The year I turned twelve, I graduated the Academy and was placed on Team 7 with Naruto, Sasuke Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi-sensei didn't focus on me, of course. He focused on the son of the Hokage and the second son of the main Uchiha household. A year passed, we were made chuunin, and I was alone once again.

Naruto trained with his father's old sensei, Jiraiya. Sasuke trained with Jiraiya's best friend, Orochimaru. Me… nothing happened with me. When my so called teammates had left me in the dust, I had done the only thing I could do.

My name is Sakura Haruno.

And I left Konoha.


	2. Only the Beginning

"Mommy? Daddy? Youw come back, wight?"

Mebuki crouched down and pulled her five-year old in a tight hug.

"Of course we will, Sakura-chan. Your Dad and I are only going on a B-rank. We should return in two days. You can take care of yourself, right?"

"Un!" Sakura grinned. She turned around and jumped into her father's waiting arms. Kizashi chuckled and ruffled her hair. With one last wave, the two jounin left the house, leaving their innocent little girl all alone.

She was in the corner of the hospital room, her knees pressed to her chest, and her teary emerald eyes locked onto the two people hidden under crisp, white sheets. For two hours she'd been here, draining all her tears and wishing that Mommy and Daddy would come back to her. A blonde man crouched before the five year old.

"What's the matter?"

"Mo-Mommy and D-Daddy... they... they'we so cold... I twied to wawm th-them... I-I twied to wake them up... bu-but they wou-wouldn't... Mommy and Daddy won't come back!" she cried, burying her face in her arms. The Yondaime Hokage patted her head and walked to a passing nurse.

"That little girl... she's the daughter of Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno, isn't she?" Minato questioned. He glanced over his shoulder briefly at the bawling girl. The nurse looked through her clipboard before nodding slightly.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno went on a B-rank turned S-rank and were attacked by a missing-nin. The back up team arrived at the scene, but they were too late. They saw a glimpse of the attacker before he disappeared. His description: tan skin, about six feet tall, pure black cloak, white hood, black mask, green eyes, and a scratch through his Takigakure hitai-ate. Their daughter is named Sakura. No family besides her parents," the nurse said, "Poor girl. Says she doesn't want to live with anyone besides her parents and requests to live alone. Based on the Haruno's finances, Sakura has enough money to sustain herself until she's fifteen."

"Her house?"

"She'll live in her parents house. It's paid off fully. She is able to live there, but we just need your OK, Hokage-sama."

Minato sighed and looked at the little girl again. This time, she'd stopped crying, but her gaze was once again locked on the hospital beds. He could always send her to the orphanage or a foster home, but that would go against what Sakura wanted, possibly making her miserable. His back straightened. If he had to make the same decision for his son, what would he do? He walked to the pink-haired five year old.

"Sakura-chan... do you really wish to live all by yourself?"

She sniffed and looked up.

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama. I don't wanna wive wif anyone ewse besides Mommy and Daddy. I don't want anyone taking Mommy and Daddy's pwace. I can take cawe of mysewf. I pwomise."

And here she was, standing in the middle of the two story house- all alone. To her, it seemed like a miracle that Hokage-sama allowed these living conditions for her. It might be hard at first, but she'd manage. There were books in her father's personal library that she could teach herself with, weapons hidden about the house that she could learn to use, and easy recipe books her mother kept in the cupboards above the stove.

But money and the bills...

Her next door neighbor, Anko, promised that she'd help her with finances and all that. Sakura walked to the fridge and pulled out the umeboshi onigiri her mother made for her before she left. The girl sat at the table and bit into it cold, not bothering to warm it up. She took another bite, this time a fresh set of tears spilling down her cheeks.


	3. Ibiki-sensei

Eight days had passed since Kizashi's and Mebuki's funeral, and Sakura was seated in her living room, nibbling on some dango Anko had happily given her, and reading a book on chakra control. She was grasping the concept extremely quickly for her age, especially since she memorized the handseals for simple jutsus like the bunshin. Sakura had also improved her grammar skills, now able to fully enunciate her r's and l's. She put her finger on her chin.

"I wonder what my chakra affinity is..."

She hopped off the couch and padded over to her parents room. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out a slip of chakra paper. Putting the chakra paper between her hands, the concentrated on molding the chakra to her palms... and stopped when it turned to dirt, then liquified.

"Earth and Water."

Sakura went back into the living room, picked a few books off the floor, and left the house.

* * *

Ibiki Morino sat on a high tree branch, looking through a folder with narrowed eyes.. He was in charge of the Haruno investigation. The missing-nin that killed the two? It could have been anybody. The only real lead they had was to find a Takigakure ninja- but that particular man's skill set was beyond him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was getting nowhere.

"I did it!"

Ibiki stood and lept through the trees towards the voice. He stopped about a quarter mile southwest and peered down curiously at the source. A child. With _pink hair_. He huffed and was about to turn back until...

"Monkey... rat... tiger..."

He focused his full attention on the little girl. She couldn't possibly do that jutsu!

"Dragon... horse... dragon! Suiton: Ja no Kuchi!"

A column of water appeared from the ground, nearly twenty feet up. It slammed through several trees before dying down. The girl plopped down with a happy sigh and began to read one of the books she brought with her. Ibiki blinked in sheer disbelief.

"Little girl."

She looked up and smiled.

"Hai, mister?"

"How old are you?" he questioned. Her smile grew wider as she held up a hand.

"I'm Sakura Haruno and I'm five!"

Ibiki blinked again. Haruno? He re-opened his file and scanned through the information. Sakura Haruno. Daughter of the deceased Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno. Konoha's number one interrogator hopped down and crouched before the child.

"Where did you learn a jutsu like that?" asked Ibiki. Sakura closed her book and showed him the cover. _''_**Dynamics of Water Jutsu'**, he read. She continued on reading as Ibiki entered a state of deep thought. A five year-old girl able to perform this C-rank technique was obviously a prodigy. Maybe one to rival _Itachi Uchiha_ at that. He smirked.

"And you've been doing this all this by yourself? No help? Not even from... your parents?"

The rosette looked down for a moment, then back up to the man. The smile had never left her face.

"Daddy and Mommy went away over a week ago, so I take care of myself now. I decided to be a shinobi like Daddy and Mommy, so I learn Jutus from the books in Daddy's library. I don't want to bother anybody by asking them to teach me, so I do it myself." she explained. Ibiki studied Sakura a bit more, an odd gleam in his eyes.

The child was young, had a large work ethic, impressive intelligence...

"Kids like you don't come across every generation." said Ibiki, reaching the other book the girl brought with her and flipping through the pages, "And you mind your manners well, not like others your age who're brats that don't know what to do with themselves. So I'll offer you a proposition. Since you've got the potential, I, Ibiki Morino, would like to become your teacher."

Sakura picked up her two books and grinned.

"No thank you, Morino-san."

And she walked away. Ibiki stared at the now empty area at a loss of words.

_'Did she... did she just...?'_

He threw his head back and laughed.

* * *

Sakura was back in her house atop a stool- carefully storing the books away. She couldn't help but let out another giggle.

Someone knocked on the door.

The girl hopped down, trotted over to the door, and greeted the person with a wide smile.

"Hi again, Morino-san!"


	4. Ibiki-sensei: Two!

"Come in, Morino-san! How have you been?" Sakura exclaimed, a cheeky grin on her chubby face. She opened the door completely and let the man in. She then skipped to the kitchen, pulled out a stool, and began making some tea.

Ibiki stared at the small girl in amazement and slight annoyance. One: He got rejected by a flippin_'_ five year old. Two: _He got rejected by a flippin' five year old. _Three: She was all alone... and yet she didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Sakura placed two ceramic tea cups on the table and sat opposite the interrogator. Ibiki couldn't help but notice that the smile had never left her face.

It didn't seem completely... real- he could tell that much. He watched as her small hands clasped her tea cup and carefully lifted it to her lips. She didn't look distressed from her parents death. No dark circles under her eyes showing that she didn't get enough sleep. How can a child be this unaffected? Well, he knew the answer to that question. Children saw the world differently from an adult's eyes. And there's no telling what could be going through her mind this very moment. Ibiki rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward.

"So, kid. You gonna tell me why you so blatantly rejected me as your sensei?" he questioned. Sakura giggled.

"Nope!"

Ibiki's eye twitched a few times before he took a gulp of tea, earning himself a small chuckle from the girl. He asked a few more questions about her family, her training, and her studying. Sakura answered them all truthfully and cheerfully, like the interrogator had expected. He regarded her curiously as she talked about what she learned in her late father's books. He had to admit, she surprised him.

And _no one_ surprises Ibiki Morino. Ibiki was a man that had seen many things through his years as an interrogator. One thing he hadn't expected to see was himself being bested by a munchkin literally fifteen years younger than him. Finally, he set his tea cup down, and stared at Sakura with unreadable eyes.

"You, Sakura Haruno, are a girl of five years who lost her parents just over a week ago. When you talk about them, you aren't sad that they're gone, nor are you upset that you'll never see them again. At your young age, I expected you to be at least a bit disheartened, but yet you continue on your days like living is the best thing that ever happened to you, and I'd really like to know why."

The rosette smiled up at him once more.

"Just because I don't look sad doesn't mean that I don't feel like dying on the inside. I miss Mommy and Daddy a lot. And I hate that Takigakure ninja."

His eyes widened drastically.

"And when I find the man who took Mommy and Daddy away..."

Emerald orbs glinted darkly, causing Ibiki's jaw to unhinge. Her smile grew wider.

"I'll make him suffer."

* * *

Paper was scattered all over the head interrogator's desk, but he himself paid no mind to it. He was too preoccupied by what he witnessed an hour ago.

_"And when I find out who took Mommy and Daddy away... I'll make him suffer."_

That girl was more disturbed than she let on. Ibiki reclined in his seat with a sigh as he folded his arms behind his head. Sakura Haruno was the most intriguing child he had ever met. She was so young and probably didn't deserve what had just happened to her. Ibiki smirked.

_'I should help her, shouldn't I?'_


	5. Ibiki-sensei: Three!

A week had passed. And everyday since that encounter, Ibiki had visited Sakura, stayed for half an hour or so, then would leave to return at the same time the next day. It was all the same for the girl as well. She'd happily let Ibiki in, talk about what she read or what happened around town, decline the man's offer of apprenticeship (which ticked him off each time), and smile and wave when he left.

And she didn't snap once.

_'The kid's really different. A little messed up in the head, but nothing I can't work with.'_ Ibiki thought as he walked the perimeter of Konoha. Just as he was about to finish his round, he spotted Sakura hanging upside down with her face buried in a book.

"Oi, kid. You'll pass out when all that blood rushes to your head."

Sakura peered over the blue hardback and immediately brightened.

"Morino-san!" she exclaimed. She unhinged her legs from the branch and flipped downwards. Clutching the book to her chest, she trotted to the head interrogator with a bubbly smile. "What have you been up to today?"

"Nothing, really. I just about finished patrols and was heading to the Interrogation Building."

"Can I come with you, Morino-san?"

"Sure."

The rosette followed behind like a little duckling to her mother. Once in the building, ANBU blinked at the sight. They had seen the girl and the interrogator times before yet it was still strange_._ Once Ibiki came to his office door, he peered down at his small follower.

"Stay here, Sakura. I need to take care of some things and it won't take long at all." he said. Sakura smiled at him before plopping down on the floor and poking her nose into a book. Every time a ninja would pass by, she'd wave or send a widespread grin. One of the friends she made, Tenzou, sat beside her.

"Nice to see you again, Sakura-chan. Waiting around for Ibiki-san again?" he greeted.

"Hai, Tenzou-san! But what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on duty?"

The brown-haired man scratched his cheek, sending a sheepish grin the five year-old's way.

"Sometimes we need a break, you know? Sometimes our chakra reserves run low... Sometimes we get temporarily taken off the roster... Sometimes we get hit by a powerful jutsu that caused internal bleeding and made the victim take it easy for a few days..."

Sakura sent the man an exasperated look.

"I told you to be careful, Tenzou-san!" she exclaimed with an annoyed pout. He chuckled and tossled her hair.

* * *

"Konohagakure? What could I possibly do there?" the grass ninja questioned curiously, "They aren't our direct enemies, are they? We haven't made contact with them."

Noboru, Kusagakure's village leader, regarded one of his most esteemed ANBU with a soft smirk.

"They haven't been any trouble, but we can't be too careless. Konoha has very strong clans within them which they can order to their willing. Their Hokage is a smart man as well, not to mention their possession of the Kyuubi. To put it simply, they're very dangerous, and their actions need to be monitored from time to time. You can accomplish this mission, cant' you?"

"Of course, Noboru-sama. _**Who the hell do you think I am?**_"


	6. Ibiki-sensei: Four!

"Go back to the hospital, Tenzou-san!" Sakura ordered, "You shouldn't be walking around with internal bleeding!"

Tenzou chuckled.

"Alright, Sakura-chan, I'll go. Take care of yourself."

Just a few minutes after he left, Ibiki returned with a small stack of papers. He beckoned the girl to follow, and she did so without questions. Like always. Sometimes Ibiki wondered why the girl was so compliant. There were many scenarios that he could've chosen from, yet the only thing to put out there was that she was alone. Hell, the image of her parent's dead bodies was probably still fresh in her mind. The interrogator glanced over his shoulder to see that ever-present smile on her face. He turned to the front and entered a nearby dango shop.

"Eh? What are we doing here, Morino-san? Cutting work again?"

Ibiki ignored the twitch in his eye and the poorly concealed giggles that followed.

"Actually, I have to meet up with a jounin. He's the youngest to ever be promoted. I need to have him fill out a few forms and talk to him about a few things."

"So he's a pru... pro... pro-di-gy?"

"Yes. And remember what I told you about joining me for meetings?"

"Un! Sit down, shut up, but observe carefully!"

"Good."

Sakura looked around the shop for someone that fit the prodigy profile. He emerald eyes finally picked out a black-haired boy, maybe about ten years old, sitting alone and calmly sipping some tea. The next thing she noticed was the particular crest on his dark clothing. She blinked before looking up at the interrogator.

"What's his name, Morino-san?" Sakura questioned in hushed tones. Ibiki peered down at her amusedly.

"Itachi Uchiha."

Sakura's cheeks puffed out before she opened her book and scrawled something completely unreadable. He patted her head and steered her towards the table.

The first thing he noticed was that a child with ridiculously pink hair waltzed into the dango shop, the head interrogator of the ANBU sector at her side. Itachi's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly.

_'How peculiar...'_

He watched as she whispered something he couldn't quite catch, then flinched when she began to write furiously in her book. Not long after, Ibiki and the girl were seated across from him.

"Uchiha-san." greeted Ibiki, "Shall we get started?"

Itachi sent a miniscule nod the older man's way. He accepted the given papers and filled them out with not so much as a grunt.

Five minutes in and Sakura was bored. Morino-san said to observe the prodigy carefully, but what was there to observe? Itachi-san was near silent, polite, reserved, and refined. Like an aristocrat. Just the person who tended to keep their emotions in check and had the most to hide. Sakura giggled inwardly. It would be so fun to-

Two yellow orbs flashed in her peripheral vision.

The five-year old stared upwards. Her head was still, but her eyes darted about the room. No, nothing was there. She hopped off her chair, put her book on her seat, then trotted out. Itachi stared after her with a quirked brow. Ibiki continued reading the papers, unfazed.

"She goes off like that sometimes." he supplied, "She'll come back sooner or later."

* * *

The guards at the main gates let Sakura out the village with a smile and a wave as she traveled into the forest. She slipped through the trees for a few minutes before resting near a stream.

"Mister with the yellow eyes at the dango shop? Are you here?"


	7. Ibiki-sensei: Five!

It was silent for a few seconds before roots shot out of the ground and wrapped around her ankles and torso.

"_**Oh? It was the child who saw me?**_ I'm surprised."

Sakura couldn't match the voices to any bodies. The area was void of people as far as she knew.

"Your eyes are very bright, mister."

"They are, aren't they? _**Didn't your parents ever telll you to stay away from brightly colored predators? Normally they're dangerous-**_poisonous, even."

"I don't think dead people can tell me any different." the rosette rebuttled quietly. Hollow laughter floated through the air. Not from one place, but from everywhere around.

"Dead? Ah, so even the world doesn't take pity on the young and defenseless. _**Maybe I would've taken pity on you myself if I were a mere civillian.**_ But sadly, _**as you can see, I'm not.**_"

The roots had grown even tighter by this time. It was beginning to crush her ribcage, making it harder to breathe, and the edge of her vision had grown fuzzy.

"T-Then it's okay t-to kill me..."

The roots faltered at her sudden declaration.

"I'm n-not asking for any p-pity. I'm really a-all alone now, so you c-could say that no one w-would miss me. I-If your duty calls for my d-disposal... i-it's al... alright."

All was still for a while before a new root burst forth, a kunai in it's grip.

* * *

Itachi noted that three hours later, the girl had yet to return. His eyes bled into crimson as he searched for any sort of concern in Ibiki's face. But Ibiki was perfectly calm. The interrogator finished filling out the forms, then he collected all the papers, as well as the girl's blue book.

"Minato-sama expects you in his office tomorrow at 1500 hours. Take care, Uchiha-san." Ibiki bid. He inclined his head and left the dango shop. The sun was low in the sky by the time Ibiki left the restaurant. Sakura would leave like that every now and then for about thirty min to an hour, but never _three_ whole hours.

He walked Konoha's busy streets looking for a tuft of that pink hair. Anywhere. But she was no where in sight. Next, he checked the parks and libraries. No trace of her there either. Lastly, he checked the Haruno household. He shunshinned into the two story building. Five kunai flung from the right, which he dodged easily. Next came the shuriken form above, then a metal spike from below. Ibiki nodded to himself, impressed. The traps weren't of high quality, but at least they were there. By now, he guessed, Sakura would make her appearance.

That is, if she was here.

Which she wasn't.

Ibiki sighed and set her book down on the coffee table. He looked around the near-empty house. How can a five year old live in a place so... barren? It was void of pictures, and probably everything that screamed 'mom and dad' had been put away. Even the air about the place seemed cold and alone. And it was...

Sad.


	8. Ibiki-sensei: Six!

Itachi took his sweet time to return back to the compound. His father would be ecstatic to hear the news of his official jounin status, yes, but that would mean more training and an extra-long speech on how he would bring great honor to the Uchiha clan.

Like he hadn't heard _that_ one before.

The ten year old stared up at the pink and orange sky. Thin, dark blue arms had started to claw at the bright colors overhead, and Itachi couldn't help but sigh. An unnatural occurance for him, but no one was around to watch him anyways. A chakra signature was just ahead of him, but he heard no footsteps.

Charcoal orbs slid downwards and widened slightly at the sight. It was the little girl from before. She was clutching her stomach, limping slightly with her eyes downcast. The Uchiha's hand immediately shot out and gripped her shoulder. She looked up slowly, and smiled.

"Ah, it's you! You're the one Morino-san was talking to before, right?" she questioned.

"You are injured."

The girl's short, bubblegum pink hair flopped about as she shook her head.

"It's fine, Jounin-san. I was just training earlier and got a few scratches. Nothing else happened." the rosette explained. Itachi didn't believe her. Bright red marks adorned her upper arms, but were smothered in some type of ointment he didn't recognize. He guessed she had more marks elsewhere but were obscured by her blue top and plain, beige pants.

"...Go to the hospital. The medics will know what to do with you there."

The girl saluted.

"Hai, Jounin-san! Bye bye!"

"Tou-san! Tou-san! Can ya teach me a new jutsu today? I'll work really hard on it! I promise, dattebayo!"

Minato chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I'll start teaching you in a couple of years, okay?"

"Mou, fine, Tou-san. But teach me the bestest jutsu!"

"Only the best." he promised.

Naruto hopped off his father's lap and trotted out, probably to find his mother and ask her once again to make some ramen. Those two were so much alike- loud, proud, but completely lovable. Just moments after the five year old left, Jiraiya and Orochimaru strolled in, arguing like usual.

"How could you say that about my books?! It's art!"

"It's porn."

"See?! This is why you'll never get a woman! You're such a prude!"

"And you're a perverted moron."

"Gah! Screw you, Orochimaru!"

Minato still couldn't believe that his master could be so stupid.

"How... only five..."

"Dark red... strong irritation... bleeding..."

"Ointment... applied generously... foreign..."

"Room 301... Haruno?"

Ibiki had heard enough before he pushed himself off a wall and walked briskly through the hospital corridors, looking for room 301. He knocked twice before sliding open the door. Sakura was sitting up on the bed, her emerald eyes glued to the window at her right. Her neck and upper arms were bandaged.

"Sakura. What happened to you?!" the interrogator demanded. He was sure that whatever happened to her wasn't from training. From any standpoint, it looked as if she had been attacked.

"Ah... just a training accident, Morino-san."

"You're lying."

"I know."

He blinked curiously at the response. Ibiki sighed and pulled up a chair beside her.

"If you won't tell me what happened to you, tell me why you denied my apprenticeship offer. It's one or the other, and you _have_ to choose."

Sakura clutched the edges of her hospital gown, her head still turned right. It was silent for a few minutes, and just as the man got up to leave, he got his answer.

"It's just like what happened to Mommy and Daddy." she whispered, "They told me they'd come back safe and sound. But they didn't. What if that happened to you, Morino-san? You say you'll train me, but what if you don't? You say you'll look after me, but what if you never will? I don't want anything like that to happen."

Ah... so that's what it was. Ibiki stood next to her now quivering form and tossled her hair lightly.

"Now why would I do that, kid? I've got no reason to. And trust me, I'll be here long enough for you to get sick of me, that I can promise."

"S-So if you promise that... I n-now can c-call you... Ibiki-sensei?"

"That's all I've been asking for."


	9. Training Day

Sakura was seated on the soft grass of training ground fourteen as she patiently waited for any instruction from her pondering sensei. Finally, Ibiki crossed his arms and looked down at the five year old.

"How much do you know about chakra, kid?"

"Well, I know that you need it to live and to perform jutsu."

"At least you know the basics." he said, "So first we'll work on stamina. You have the intelligence and the chakra control, but the things you lack are stamina and strength. The more stamina you have, the larger chakra reserve you'll have. And the larger your chakra reserve, the more jutsu you can perform. Now run around Konoha until your legs give out."

* * *

"Aniki! Aniki!"

Itachi turned around and glanced at the small boy that was trotting towards him, a wide smile on his chubby features.

"What is it, otouto?" he questioned impassively. Sasuke hugged his brother's leg and stared up at him with doe-eyed innocence.

"Can I go to the park today?"

"Did you ask kaa-san?"

The smaller boy pouted and reluctantly trudged to the kitchen. Itachi shook his head and let out a small puff of air. That boy was going to be the death of him some day. Just as he slipped on his sandals at the front door, Sasuke bounded up to him excitedly.

"Kaa-san said I could go! Can you take me there, Aniki? Please?" he begged. Sasuke pulled out his puppy-face. Itachi stared blankly for a few seconds before another puff of air escaped his lips. He nodded, which excited the smaller boy even more. Quickly, he stuffed his small feet into his sandals and pulled his older brother out the door.

"Don't stay out late, you two!" Mikoto called from the kitchen.

* * *

"What was that you little brat?!"

"Er... I said that you had big and beaut'ful red hair, Kaa-san, dattebayo!"

Kushina Uzumaki smirked triumphantly and ruffled her only son's blonde head.

"That's what I thought."

Naruto grinned up at her. She took ahold of his tiny, tan hand and led him out the door to the local park. Minato couldn't take him, having duties of being the Hokage and all, so Kushina happily offered to take him. She hadn't had any shinobi duties after baring Naruto, so she spent most of her days a cheerful housewife. And yes. Sometimes it was _boring as hell_. So with Naruto chatting amiably, they walked side by side down the streets.

* * *

Ibiki looked down at his watch, clearly impressed. Sakura had managed to run around the entire village in under three hours, a great feat for a five year old. He could tell that she used some chakra here and there, but it was fine. He didn't establish not using it as a rule in the first place. She was laying on the grass, drenched in sweat and nodding in and out of sleep.

"We're done for the day. Do you want me to take you home?" he asked. She stared up at him with half-lidded eyes and somehow mustered up a weary smile.

"It's fine sensei..." she muttered, "It's a nice day today. Can... Can I nap out here? I promise I won't stay here long..."

He sighed.

"Fine. But if I don't see you back in your house in two hours, I'll assume you're still here and I'll coming to get you."

She hmm'd in response and finally closed her eyes, curling up in a slight ball as she did so. Ibiki chuckled and walked back into Konoha. Thirty minutes after he left, a body emerged from a nearby tree. He padded over to the girl's sleeping form and looked at her pointedly.

"Sleeping out in the open? _**You're going to get yourself killed, idiot.**_"

"Mmm... Didn't wanna bother 'im... Zetsu-san..."

Zetsu shook his head, picked up her fatigued form, and sunk back into the earth. He re-appeared in her room and gently set her on her bed. He tucked her in carefully before turning to leave.

"_**Did we just tuck her in? You monster! What the hell?!**_ Shut up, Black Zetsu."


	10. Throwing Assumptions

Sakura slept for a full eighteen hours before Ibiki decided that it was time for another training session. He waited for her at the training ground, a couple of dozen kunai at his feet. Sakura skipped in, her whole being refreshed and cheerful.

"What are we learning today, sensei?" she chirped curiously. Ibiki smirked and gestured to the weapons on the grassy terrain.

"We'll try out your accuracy and power. Over there on that tree is a target." he said, pointing to his left, "I want you to stand fifteen feet away and throw twenty kunai at the center circle."

She puffed out her cheeks and picked up a kunai. She then stood at the fifteen foot mark and took aim.

_THUNK_

It hit dead center.

Nineteen kunai later, fourteen were in the center circle, two were in the second ring, one was in the third, and two were in the fourth. Most of them were lodged 1/4 of the way in the bark.

"I... have severely underestimated you." he muttered, staring blankly at the red and white target. The girl flashed him a cheeky grin before yanking the kunai from the wood. She had 75% accuracy. And she was only five years old. Saying that he underestimated Sakura was a complete understatement. Sakura Haruno was a prodigy no matter what angle you viewed it from. If she kept this pace, she wouldn't even need to attend the Academy. Her chakra control was impeccable, her intelligence was that of a chuunin if not higher, and really, a rival for the esteemed Itachi Uchiha.

It was a shame that her parents had to die, and an even bigger shame to see all Sakura's talent be worked towards revenge. Ibiki sighed as he watched her try to perfect her throwing technique. It wa a shinobi like her that he had to watch out for. With great amounts of determination, skills and brains to back it up, and virtually nothing to keep her rooted to a village, who's to stop her if she ever decides to leave Konoha?

* * *

"Tenzou-san!" Sakura exclaimed, running up to the ANBU and hugging his leg, not minding the others that looked at her oddly, "I haven't seen you in a long time! You didn't sneak out of the hospital again, did you?"

Tenzou's ears turned red when his team members chuckled at him. His female teammate, Kagura, bent down and squished Sakura's chubby face.

"Aw, you're soo cute!" she cooed, "Where did you find this adorable girl, Tenzou?! You're such a pedo."

"It's not like that! Sakura's the one who hangs around Ibiki-san all the time and I met her at the ANBU building!" he protested, his face growing darker. Kagura laughed and finally let go of Sakura's cheeks. The pink-haired child smiled up at her, causing Kagura to coo at her more. Towa stepped up to Tenzou and elbowed his side lightly.

"That's the kid that's always around Ibiki? I thought it was only a rumor." he whispered.

"She's real alright. I was surprised to hear about it too, but it makes me wonder what motive Ibiki has. I mean, it's not like him to do something like this, you know?"

Kagura persisted her cooing, not noticing Sakura's sudden sharpness glinting in her emerald eyes.

* * *

When Ibiki entered his office, a small body was sitting in his plush office chair. She was focused on a particularly thick file, brows furrowed in deep concentration. Her hand propped up her head so that she was leaning slightly to the side.

"What are you reading, Sakura?"

"Daddy and Mommy's file." she answered without looking up. She finished the page she was reading before shutting the file and looking up to meet her sensei's gaze. "Why did you want me as your student, Ibiki-san?"

Ibiki narrowed his eyes at her tone of voice. It was serious, a complete 180 degree turn from her normal chirp. It was that kind of voice you didn't think someone would master until they were about ten or eleven. Deep, dark, demanding.

"Because you're different than every other kid I've come across. Your short past is gruesome and unforgiving. The way you view the world is that of someone who knows true pain. Most of the time, your smile is fake, but it fools nearly everyone that sees it- that's why you do it all the time. At such a young age, I can already see the shinobi in you. You're dangerous, and I want to see how much of that I can tame."

Sakura considered this information, staring at the lamp on the desk and scrunching up her nose. Suddenly, she perked up and grinned.

"Okay, sensei!"

She hopped off the seat, hugged his leg, and ran out the building. Ibiki tried to calm his twitching nerves and returned to his work.

* * *

The guards were unfazed as a small girl ran past them and into the nearby forest. She came out here everyday for the past week, would stay a while, then re-enter the village as chipper as she left. They decided not to question about it. She was never a problem, and as long as she stayed that way, it was fine.

Sakura ran into a denser patch of greenery and sat down, catching her breath.

"Zetsu-san! Are you here?"

A lump emerged from the ground in front of her, exposing a head, half an upperbody, but venus flytrap additions absent.

"Good afternoon, Sakura. _**You did something, didn't you? I can see that look on your face. What did you do?**_"

Sakura giggled.

"Nothing, Zetsu-san!"

Zetsu still wondered how in hell he hadn't killed her yet, and how she managed to wrap him, an S-class shinobi, around her tiny fingers. Maybe it was the way she acted that drew him to hold pity for her. But even if he did that, he still wouldn't be interaction with her at the moment. Damn this little girl. Damn her to hell. A prickling feeling enveloped his senses.

"Tommorow." he interrupted. Sakura stopped her rant about her day and looked at him curiously. Zetsu sunk into the ground like quicksand. Not ten minutes later, as Sakura was picking flowers, someone entered the clearing.


	11. A Pretty Lady

"My, my, what a cute little thing! Why are you picking flowers all the way out here? There's a perfectly decent meadow right next to Konoha."

Sakura smiled at the stranger as she bound some flowers with extra chakra string that she had.

"I met my friend out here, miss."

Mikoto Uchiha smiled and offered a hand.

"Now it's getting late, dear. Let me walk you home. What's your name?"

"Sakura Haruno."

The five year old took hold of the woman's hand and allowed herself to be led back into Konoha. The guards nodded at them in greeting in which both returned with a wide smile. Mikoto looked down at the girl, her head tilting a tad right. Even if the girl was telling the truth, it was highly unusual to see someone so young be out so far from the confines of the village.

"Dear, wouldn't your parents worry about you being out all by yourself?" questioned Mikoto.

"No."

"Why is that?"

"They're dead, miss. Have been for a couple of weeks."

The woman's hand tensed as her eyes widened in immediate worry. This little girl had lost her parents at this age? That was devastating. Even so, she definitely wasn't showing discomfort if she had any. Mikoto studied Sakura's face for a long while. There was no emotion, only that adorable, lonely smile. She felt a surge pity run through her.

"Why don't you come over, Sakura-chan? I'll brew you a nice cup of tea." she said, motherly instinct taking over. Sakura shook her head.

"It's alright, miss! I don't want to impose or anything, and-and I really need to get home to prepare for tomorrow!" she exclaimed. The girl slid her hand out of the older woman's before bowing and smiling up at her cheerfully. "Thank you for walking me this far, ma'am. I can walk the rest by myself."

She trotted off, but not before giving the kind lady the bundle of flowers. Mikoto walked home, a frown creasing on her flawless face. Sakura... She was such an unfortunate little girl. And she couldn't be any older than her youngest son, Sasuke. Did she live with anyone? How was she faring? What had happened to her parents? The thoughts had clouded her mind so much that she hadn't realized she had arrived at the kitchen of her home. Fugaku, who had noticed her entrance, turned towards his wife from the dining room table.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked. Mikoto laid down the flowers on the table and pecked her husband on the cheek.

"It's nothing, dear. Don't worry about it." she grinned. She went back into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. Fugaku turned back around and sipped at his tea. He gazed at the flowers with an uninterested eye until something glinted on the stem. He reached for the flowers, untied the string, and brought it close to his face for further inspection.

"Where did you get these flowers?"

"Oh! This sweet, five year old girl gave them to me earlier. I walked her home and she gave me those. Aren't they beautiful?"

Beautiful? Sure. But what was a five year old doing with chakra string?

* * *

"Brat. Get up."

Sakura sat up and rubbed her eyes. She gave a wide yawn before pouting up at her teacher.

"Sensei..." she whined, "It's five in the morning."

"I know. Get up, get dressed, and meet me on the training grounds in fifteen minutes, understood?"

She puffed out her cheeks, annoyed, but nodded nonetheless. Ibiki smirked and patted her head before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Sakura tumbled out of her bed, clumsily threw on a dark green long sleeve and pastel yellow pants, grabbed her weapons pouch and books, and trudged to the training grounds. Her eyes were still bleary with sleep and she couldn't keep a lot of focus. She deemed that she didn't need to, seeing that only a couple of ninja were on the streets.

Eventually, she met Ibiki at the training grounds. He raised an eyebrow at her disheveled appearance and chuckled. She stuck her tongue out. Sakura wrapped the weapons pouch around her thigh and set down her books.

"Why did you want me to wake up so early for, sensei?"

"For one, you're now waking up everyday at five am."

She crossed her arms and pouted.

"Two, you now will be wearing weights to increase your strength and speed."

Ibiki pulled nine training weights from his overcoat. He wrapped them around her ankles, thighs, waist, wrists, and biceps.

"Each of these weigh three kilograms (approx. 6.6 pounds), making everything on you a total of twenty-seven kilograms (approx. 59.4 pounds). The weight will increase gradually as you improve your skill and grow older. Never take these off unless you take a shower. Right now, I want you to walk around Konoha and get used to them." he said. Sakura smiled up at him and nodded. He tossled her short pink hair and stood up, "I'm going on a mission for a week or so. When I get back, I expect those weights not bother you at all."

She saluted.

"Hai, sensei!"

He smirked and walked out of the training grounds. Sakura relaxed herself and moved around. The weights weren't that heavy, so she didn't think they'd be too much of a bother. Her stomach growled, interrupting her train of thought, so she walked into the village to find something to eat. She walked the streets to see if there was any vendor open this early, and was lucky to score a few sticks of toriniku yakitori at the edge of the village. Stomach full and determination readied, she continued to walk around. Two hours later, at around seven am, she was approached by the pretty lady from yesterday.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! What are you doing up so early?"

Sakura shrugged.

"Just walking around, miss. What about you?"

"I decided to do some early morning shopping. Around this time, all the fresh produce gets put out. Oh my, how incredibly rude of me, I haven't introduced myself! My name is Mikoto Uchiha."

She shook Sakura's small hand and noticed how damp it was. She also noticed the beads of sweat slidding down the girl's forehead and the quick, shallow breaths that escaped her lips. Mikoto's eyebrows furrowed as worry filled her once again.

"Mother, is this what you have been looking for?"

Sakura brightened at the boy that walked up to the two of them.

"Jounin-san!"


	12. Destination: Nami no Kuni

A week had passed since Itachi had seen Sakura's water dragon, and he was still in some state of wonder. Especially after her offhand declaration.

_"Mother, Sakura and I will go to the lake. It will only be a few moments, then we will return for tea." Itachi informed. He opened the door and stepped out, the little girl following after him giddily. They walked for a few minutes before the two stood on a pier that overlooked a large, sparkling lake. Sakura brightened up at the sight._

_"Now show me." he demanded. The five year old pouted up at him and walked to the edge of the pier. Her hand seals weren't fast, but they did enough to perform the technique. Monkey... Rat... Tiger... Dragon... Horse... Dragon..._

_"Suiton: Ja no Kuchi!"_

_The water before her swirled at incredible speeds before it launched into the air. The dragon roared at it's 30 ft. height before crashing back down into the water. Sakura, content with herself, turned on her heel and grinned up at an expressionless Itachi._

_"There you go, Itachi-san!" she exclaimed. "Let's get back to Mikoto-san. I bet she's waiting with the tea."_

_She grabbed his hand and began to walk back to the compound. Itachi went rigid at the direct contact, but Sakura either didn't notice or didn't mind. He stared at the back of her head for a few moments._

_"Judging by your extraordinary talents, you'll be joining the Academy next term, correct?"_

_To his surprise, she shook her head._

_"No, I won't. Sensei may teach me a lot of things as time goes by, but that doesn't mean I should show all that off. I'll join when I'm eight. It's later than the usual, but it will give me time to train with sensei. It won't be hard for me to catch up anyway. I snuck into one of the classes to see what they taught, and it didn't look too hard. The work was easy." she replied cheerfully. Itachi was stunned to silence and kept quiet the rest of the walk._

She was a strange one, he had to admit. Her intelligence was uncomparable, her skill was way over what was expected, she was like...

She was like him...

"Ibiki, are you sure about this?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I'll take full responsibility if anything happens to her."

Minato stared for a few minutes before nodding in consent. He, of course, had heard the rumors surrounding Ibiki and little Sakura, but it was one of those things that just wasn't believable. Now, he had just agreed to let Sakura accompany Ibiki's S-class solo mission. This certainly, 100%, should not be allowed at any moment for any person._ But_, Ibiki had been an extremely loyal shinobi to Konoha for years. If this was his way of training a student, so be it.

Ibiki bowed and stepped out of the office. Sakura popped up beside him as the interrogator made way out of the main building.

"So, Sensei, am I going on the mission with you?" she questioned.

"Yes. We leave tomorrow. Consider this your first real training session." he said. She smiled.

"Where are we going?"

"Nami no Kuni."


	13. The Cypher Division

"Ehh... Nami no Kuni must be really far!" Sakura exclaimed. She peered off the boat and stared at the passing waves, "We've been traveling, I think, three days? How much longer until we get there, Sensei?"

Ibiki crossed his arms and stared eastward. The faint outline of land was visible through the clear sky.

"My guess is about an hour to an hour and a half. Once we get there, we'll find the nearest village and an inn. We'll rest for a while, have lunch, then we'll proceed with the mission. Understood?" he said.

"Un!"

It wasn't long before a thick fog surrounded the boat and the waters around them. Sakura wasn't too worried about it, she read in a book that the Land of Waves always had fog at this time of day. Soon enough, they docked, unloaded, an entered the town. The people looked miserable, thin, and malnourished. The girl looked wide-eyed at everyone and everything as they walked. A thrum of fear ran through her as she laid a glance at the numerous shady figures.

"Sensei... why does this place look so... sad?" she whispered.

"A shipping baron named Gato. His hold on the place is what's making it impoverished." replied Ibiki. They eventually found an inn that didn't look too bad and placed all their belongings in the room. As Ibiki suggested, and was probably right about, they placed traps around the room. The two chatted for a while over a bowl of stew before setting out to the forest.

It had an even denser overhead of fog. Unusual fog. Ibiki waved his hand, ushering Sakura to stay closer to him. Enemy ninja were near, six medium sized but one extremely large.. He turned to the small girl.

"Stay out of sight. If any of them go toward you, run. Don't attack."

Sakura nodded and hid on a high branch. She watched as seven people entered the area. Six people were wearing green outfits, and one stood in front of all of them, clad in a gray flak jacket, Kirigakure headband, and propping up his left arm with his katana. What intrigued Sakura the most was the man in the front, presumably a guard. He was a tall man, maybe in his early twenties, and was _blue._ And were those... gills on his cheek bones?

"All of you, get out of here! Now!" the blue man ordered.

"But..." the lone female trailed off.

"Now!"

The five men had no trouble turning around and bolting the hell out of there. Ibiki took the chance and launched himself at the man. The girl of the group stayed, though.

"Kisame!"

"Suiren, I said get out of here!"

When Sakura was sure Ibiki and Kisame were fully engaged in their fight, she jumped off the branch and crept around the foliage and approached the woman named Suiren. She tugged at her sleeve. Suiren jerked her arm away and looked down, surprised.

"Suiren-san, right? My name's Sakura!" the girl smiled, "You should listen to, ano, Kisame-san? This fight is dangerous. You might get hurt."

The tan-haired woman was shocked to say the least. It wasn't everyday that a five year old was lurking around these parts and found around dangerous ninja. When the girl didn't see a reaction coming soon, she grabbed the woman's hand and pulled her away from the seen. Suiren finally came to her senses after a couple minutes of running.

"Wait! I can't- I can't just leave Kisame alone out there!" she exclaimed. Sakura paused, then looked over her shoulder. Her green eyes glimmered brightly, but she hadn't let go of Suiren's hand.

"You really care for him, don't you?" asked the five year old. The Cypher Division member blushed darkly.

"I-I do, but I just c-can't leave him..."

"You have to. I saw some of his moves out there, and he's really strong. Maybe even stronger than my sensei. Suiren-san, Kisame-san is going to walk out of that battle alive. And when he does, you have to be alive as well, waiting for him." said Sakura. She urged Suiren forward with a grin and a wave.

"Bye bye, Suiren-san! I'll make sure Kisame-san gets back safely, I promise!"

With that, the five year old turned towards the battle.

And ran.


	14. Conversations of the Chasm

When she arrived back at the battle, she could tell that Kisame and Ibiki were wearing thin. The patch of forest was littered with cuts and broken trees, and the assaults to the land just kept coming and coming. Sakura scanned her sensei over. He didn't look too badly injured, but a deep gash ran along the left side of his face. She then looked over at Kisame. He himself wasn't in any critical danger, save for a few slashes and bruises along his arms.

Sakura returned to her place on the tree branch and continued to watch. The girl couldn't help but marvel at their strength. They attacked eachother mercilessly and without hesitation. Even with their brute strength, each attack was carefully planned out and gracefully executed. She hoped one day that she could be as good as they were.

An hour later when both of their chakra reserves had plummeted a considerable amount, Kisame smashed his katana downwards onto Ibiki. The interrogator crossed two kunai over his head and drove his heels in the ground to brace impact.

_CLANG!_

The impact was tremendous, forcing Ibiki onto his knees. Once he recovered, he launched the two kunai forward. No one was there.

"Dammit!" he hissed. That Kirigakure ninja made a hasty retreat without settling the score. He punched the ground with what little strength he had left. His vision began to grow hazy with chakra depletion.

"-sei! Sensei!"

Ibiki glanced upwards at his student's worried face. He smirked.

"I'm fine... Just... tired..."

He slumped onto the ground, unconscious.

Zetsu never thought the little twerp would actually use the summoning tag. Yes, he gave her a summoning tag to call for him if she wanted- but _still_. He never thought she would use it so quickly. He rose up from the earth in front of the small girl and stared at her with his glimmering yellow eyes.

"What is it that you need,_** brat**_?"

"Good afternoon, Zetsu-san! I... um... Can you please take Sensei back to Asai Ike Inn?" she questioned sweetly. Zetsu looked to the side and gawked in surprise. That so-called sensei of hers was a puddle of bone and flesh on the ground. His chakra was low and wavering and he was knocked out cold. He pointed at the body.

"_**You didn't do this, did you?**_ Because if you did-"

"I didn't, I didn't!" Sakura interrupted with a giggle, "Sensei fought someone from Kiri. His name is Kisame. Anyway, can you please take him back and make sure he's alright? There's something I have to do."

The Kusa nin sent her a calculating look, but nodded without question and disappeared underground along with Ibiki's body. Sakura stood from her crouched position and looked to the direction Kisame sped off to. She slipped her pack off her shoulders and rummaged through it. Bandages. Check. Gauze. Check. Rubbing alcohol. Check. Bruise salve. Check. Water, cotton balls, cloth. Check, check, check. Good, she had everything she needed and some more when she tended to her sensei later.

She put on her backpack and launched herself into the canopy. The five year old scanned the world beneath her, searching for any shock of blue. She finally came upon a dark chasm ten minutes later. Peering off the edge, she saw a shadowed figure with an arm propped up on a bent knee. His back was against the stone wall. Sakura jumped down.

The girl steadily approached the figure and almost instantly recognized him as Kisame. Of course it was him. Who else had blue skin and blue hair? She haved a hand in front of his face. When she received no response, she smiled and sat down beside him. She dumped the contents of her pack in front of her and got to work on his arms.

Kisame pried his eyes open with a groan. That fight had taken a toll on him only because him and the Cypher Division had been traveling for a little over a day and a half. Then a Konoha ninja decides to pop up and throw shit down. Wait a minute, was the Cypher Division alright?!

"Ehh, you're up already? Maybe you should rest some more, your chakra's still kinda low."

The shinobi unsheathed his katana and held it to the unknown person's neck. He looked down at the stranger, who wore a cheeky smile on her face.

"Hello!" she exclaimed happily, "My name's Sakura Haruno!"

It was only a child.

Kisame slowly retracted the sword and returned it to it's sheath. He then stared at his arms, which were bandaged. He looked up at the girl with furrowed brows. She nodded at his silent question.

"I cleaned them and made sure they'll heal properly. They're not serious injuries, and the book says you won't get scars when it heals." she informed. He watched as Sakura closed the book she was reading and stored it in her pack. She then turned to him with a wide smile.

"So, Kisame-san, what do you plan on doing now?" she questioned._ He_ should be the one asking her that question. The Kiri nin slung his katana over his shoulder and crossed his arms.

"To check on my team. After that, it's none of your business."

He spun on his heel and readied himself to-

"Suiren-san's alright." came the girl's sweet voice. Kisame whipped around with his hand on the hilt of his sword, and his white eyes narrow, "She was at the fight, I know, I was there too. I made sure she got away safely!"

You wouldn't believe how confused Kisame was. This puny little kid watched the fight between him and Morino Ibiki, then she comes and tends to the enemy instead of her ally? She was girl who probably isn't older than six, and she skips up to him like he doesn't pose any sort of threat. What the hell was wrong with her?

He got down on one knee in front of Sakura.

"Why are you here?"

"To bring you back to Suiren-san!"

"Is that so? Well, there's one thing I have to do before I go, and that's to murder a bastard named Gato." he said with a pointy-toothed grin, "Still want to bring me back?"

"Of course! I made a promise to Suiren-san so I'll bring you back! And if that means going with you to kill Gato, I'm going with you to kill Gato!"

Kisame smirked.


	15. Gato's a Dead Man

Zetsu was not a happy camper. He was in the corner of the inn room with his arms crossed and his lips twisted in a scowl. The brat's sensei was currently on the bed. His breathing was even and all his wounds were completely bandaged.

"_**The goddamn pipsqueak better be thankful that we helped her. What in hell is she doing anyways?**_Well, you know her, always out and about._** But even in this shady city?**_ That girl knows no bounds."

* * *

Kisame and Sakura were positioned on a high branch just a mile away from where Gato's hideout was. A katana was in the Kiri shinobi's lap, and the girl was quietly reading a book. An oddball, that pint-sized kid was. She knew he was a dangerous person and an enemy to Konoha, yet here she was. His partner for this assassination.

"Hey kid, how old are you anyways?"

"I'm five!"

Well shit.

"Really? What are you doing out here with that interrogator?" questioned Kisame. The girl closed her book and smiled up on him.

"He's my sensei. He allowed me to come with him, but I didn't know what for." she answered. He let out a low whistle as he slung his sword across his back.

"You're kinda young to be learning. You a prodigy or something?"

"Hm... I don't think so."

"So why's he training you?"

"I made a big water dragon!"

Kisame furrowed his brows as he leaned forward. He tried to decipher just exactly what making a water dragon meant, because surely it wasn't_ that_ jutsu. Sakura saw the man's confused look and nodded gleefully.

"It was Ja no Kuchi." she confirmed. He stared at her in awe. Her knowing that jutsu and being able to execute it... she must really be something. He then turned his attention to the hideout. The guards left from their posts, for guard change he presumed, and left a perfect opening.

"I'll disguise as one of the guards. And you'll be-"

"The intruder you found walking around!" she exclaimed. Kisame chuckled and henged into one of the guards. They lept down from their hiding place. The Kiri nin clasped pseudo-chains around the girl's wrist, and began the walk to the mansion 'hideout'. The new guards immediately stopped them before they reached the iron gates.

"What the hell is that?" one of the guards hissed, pointing a kunai at the bound girl, "Gato-sama doesn't like mangy dogs."

"Found the brat lurking around. I just want to see if Gato-sama wants to kill her or keep her for other reasons." Kisame replied from behind a porcelain mask. The two guards shared a look.

"Tch, go the fuck ahead. Don't expect anything less than her turning into a bloody mess." one of them said. They stepped aside to let the two in. Kisame immediately pinpointed Gato's chakra towards the west. WIth Sakura still in chains, they walked towards Gato's office. Soon, enough they arrived at a set of double doors. Kisame knocked once.

"Come in."

Kisame walked in and gently pushed Sakura forwards. The pudgy form of Gato sat in a thick, leather chair. A cigar hung from his stubby fingers that bent as he took a long drag. He pushed up his glasses and stood up. He walked towards the two and peered down at the pink-haired intruder.

"And who are you?"

Sakura spat in his face.

The disguised Kiri nin coughed to hold back his laughter. Gato growled and snappishly wiped the spit off his cheek. Luckily, he refrained himself from smacking her. She was only a child, after all.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself? Just what did you think you could accomplish by bringing this... _thing_ here?" he demanded. Kisame reached behind him and unsheathed his katana. Without a word, he sliced Gato's throat and let his fat body fall to the floor. Sakura broke her chains and stared down at the dead body.

"Does it bother you that I killed him so easily?" asked Kisame. She stayed quiet for a while before she looked up at him and smiled.

"No."

He had to admit, the carefree answer disturbed him a little. He picked her up, formed a hand sign, and disappeared in a pool of water.

He reappeared just outside the village he was staying in. Suiren was pacing back and forth just at the outskirts. When she saw Kisame and Sakura appear, she immediately ran towards them. Sakura jumped out of his arms and watched with a wide grin when Suiren tackled him in a hug. The woman soon turned to the five year old and held her close as well.

"I told you, Suiren san!"

"Yes... Yes you did."

Sakura waved at them before turning around and walking towards the village she was staying at.

"Oi, kid."

She spun around just in time to catch a katana with a scroll tied to it. She looked at him in surprise, her sparkling emerald green eyes wide.

"W-Wha...? Your.. this is your sword..."

"Think of it as a thank you gift."

A look of true happiness crossed her face.

"Thank you, Kisame-san!"


	16. The Pervert in the Hot Springs

The day Sakura turned six, she received a new set of shuriken from Anko, and a new set of kunai from Ibiki. Oh- and an addition of one and a half more kilograms to all nine of her weights, making a total of 40.5 kilograms (approx. 89.3 pounds). And yes. They were heavy. Sakura was in her room, enjoying a break from training and happily arranging all the items. The katana Kisame had gifted her earlier in the year hung horizontally over her bed, and the scroll he tied with it was unraveled and pinned to one of her walls.

Turns out, it was a water jutsu scroll filled with information and background of the Kirigakure no Jutsu, Mizu Kamikiri, and Mizu Bunshin. They weren't the sort of jutsu that were considered extremely powerful or top secret, but they were a great start. For her at least. She didn't quite understand two of them, but she was convinced that she could achieve the Mizu Bunshin rather easily. Sakura smiled to herself as she hopped off her bed and headed out the door. She immediately spotted Anko who was walking back home with a few grocery bags in her hand.

"Good morning, Anko-san!" she exclaimed. Sakura ran up to the older woman and tackled her in a wide armed hug. Anko laughed and hugged the girl back.

"Mornin' to you too, kiddo. So, what are you doin' out here? Aren't you supposed to be relaxing with the only day Ibiki'll give you off?" she asked. The girl shook her head.

"That's so boring, Anko-san! I'm going to go train with those shuriken you gave me. Thank you for those too!"

"That's like the fifteenth time you've thanked me." grinned Anko, "Anyway, if you're gonna train, be careful out there."

"Ok! I'll see you later then!"

She ran off.

After about five minutes of running to the usual training grounds, she stopped at the outside of the hot springs to catch her breath. She wasn't used to the extra weight yet, and it was tiring her out more than usual. She leaned against a nearby tree to catch her breath. Sakura looked towards the hot springs and saw a man crouching at one of the walls with his face pressed against it.

"A... perv?" Sakura mumbled. She pushed herself off of the bark and walked up to the strange man.

"Uh... mister? Are you supposed to be doing that?"

"If you must know, I'm doing research, now hush" he whispered, "They might hear you!"

His didn't look away from his obvious peeping. High-pitched giggling spilled from his mouth as he pressed himself more into the wood wall.

"Oh Mika-chan, what beautiful assets you have~!" he giggled. Sakura puffed out her cheeks. She might not know what this creepy guy was doing, but it looked wrong. Really wrong. So the girl took in a deep breath, then-

"PERVERT IN THE HOT SPRINGS!" she screamed. A collective amount of shrieks filled the women's side. Water splashed around, and soon, it was completely empty. The weird man sighed irritably and stood up.

"Do you realize what priceless information you cost me, little brat?"

"Do you realize that you're a really big perv who has no life but peeping on pretty ladies?" she rebuttled. His eye twitched.

"...Big perv...?... No life...? I'm guessing that you have no idea who I am!" he exclaimed. He suddenly striked up a pose.

"I am the extremely awesome Jiraiya! I am the Toad Sage, one of the three great sannin! I am- wait a minute! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?! I WAS JUST GETTING TO THE GOOD PART!" he screeched. Sakura was already walking away from boredom at the weird guy's speech. Jiraiya scowled at her retreating back and huffed.

"Such disrespect from a midget..." he grumbled. Even if she was some brat, he could sense she was something else. He could see those weights that she wore. The girl was a kunoichi in training even at such a young age. And it was enough to get him intrigued.

* * *

Sakura walked to the training grounds with a giddy air about her. Along the way, she bumped into someone she hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Tenzou-san!"


	17. The Legend of Tsunade

"Ah, hello, Sakura-chan!" Tenzou smiled. He tousled her hair gently and crouched down to her level. "I've got a little surprise for you."

Sakura cocked her head to the side and glanced up at him with wide, wondering eyes.

"What kind of surprise?" she questioned. He reached into his back pouch and pulled out three books. Tenzou handed them to Sakura who read the covers curiously. The first read_ 'The Book of Basic Medicine'_, the second-_ 'Rules of Shinobi'_, and the third:_ 'Bingo Book: Edition 5.9'_. A smile immediately blossomed on the girl's face.

"Happy Birthday." he greeted. Sakura set the books down and threw her arms around the ANBU's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Tenzou chuckled and hugged back.

"Thank you so much, Tenzou-san!" she exclaimed. She let go of the older man and stared at one of the books, "But I wonder... is it really okay for me to have a Bingo Book?"

Tenzou scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well... no one said you _couldn't_ have it..."

The two talked for a while before Sakura waved and continued on her way to the training grounds. The streets were slightly packed, as usual, and Sakura decided to skim through the Bingo Book to pass the time. There were plently of ninja from all over the five nations, but none of them was the one she hoped to find- much to her displeasure. But one thing did that catch her attention was a particular rogue from Konoha.

_Tsunade Senju_

_Birthdate: August 2_

_Age: 45_

_Height: 163.1 cm_

_Weight: 48.9 kg_

_Blood Type: B_

_Classification: Medical-nin, Sannin, Missing-nin_

_Affiliation: Unknown_

_Class: S_

_Nature Type: Lightning_

_Cause of Defection: Unknown_

Sakura was slightly interested. Her father used to tell her stories about the great ninja of Konoha. She could vaguely remember the story of Tsunade, the Slug Sannin. The story went that Tsunade didn't like what Konoha had turned into, and decided to leave without anyone witnessing her disappearance. Tsunade took nothing but her young apprentice, Shizune. But of course, no one knew the real story.

_'Didn't that one guy, what's-his-name, say that he was a Sannin?'_

When she arrived at the training grounds, she spotted the aforementioned in the middle of the green field with his arms crossed. The minute he caught sight of her, he strode over and leered at her with his towering form. Sakura craned her head up and stared at him with disinterest.

"Do you need something, Pervert-san?" she questioned sweetly.

"For one, my name is JIRAIYA, not PERVERT!" he exclaimed angrily, "And two, all joking aside, I was wondering what you're doing out here. I followed you out here, and it seems rather odd for a little girl to come to a training ground all alone."

Sakura tilted her head to the side.

"You're a stalker too?" she questioned incredulously.

Jiraiya could have yanked out his hair.

The girl giggled and decided that it was enough messing with him for now. She set her books on a nearby stump and tied her kunai pouch around her right thigh. She twirled around and faced Jirayia with her arms locked behind her back and a big grin plastered on her face.

"I'm just kidding around, Jiraiya-san," she said as she stuck out her tongue, "I'm come here all the time to train. I'm usually with Ibiki-sensei, but sometimes he gives me days off, and I spend those days training here. I don't have anything else to do but walk around or read books, so why not train?"

The sage 'hmmed' in thought and tapped his chin.

"Won't your parents get worried?"

He noticed her flinch before she shrugged it off. Sakura marked a target in the tree with a kunai.

"The dead can't get worried. At least I don't think." she said. She took twenty paces backwards and aimed her kunai. She threw it and landed the shot in one flick of the wrist. "Is that all you wanted to know? I mean, I'll answer more questions if you have any."

"Not at the moment, no." he replied.

"Good. Now it's my turn. Please tell me about Tsunade Senju, Jiraiya-san. Or really, tell me about why she left."

Jiraiya shouldn't be surprised. The story of Tsunade Senju was a popular story among the people, even if a lot of it had turned to fiction. Tsunade had become one of the most notorious missing-nins out there. Her infamy probably sprouted from how powerful she was and how all her strong loyalty crumbled to dust within seconds. He turned his gaze at the small girl standing a few feet away from him.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked.

"I'm curious."

"Well, I guess it's only fair." he sighed, "But I'll give you the short version. Orochimaru, one of my good friends, and I had been on a genin team with Tsunade. We got stronger, but failed to give Tsunade the attention she needed. So eventually, she grew tired of us and left the village. Orochimaru and I... we've looked for her everywhere. We just couldn't find her. And after twenty years... We still won't stop. We will bring her back."

Jiraiya stopped himself and looked to the side. Sakura though, had a carefully blank expression on her face.

"So you're chasing after the memory? It's a waste of time."

His attention snapped over to her. Sakura stood in all her six year old glory with her arms crossed and her eyes as hard as steel. Never in Jiraiya's life had he seen a child with such a mature, unforgiving look.

"You said it yourself. It was your fault that she left. If she doesn't want to come back, you can't bring her back. Let's say you do. You become so happy that your team is one again, but is it really? She'll be in chains and in a jail cell, and all you can think about is your own happiness. Leave her be, won't you? She probably is content with her life if she's been away for twenty years."

Sakura held her books to her chest and yanked the kunai from the bark. She looked at Jiraiya again and gave him a toothy grin.

"But that's only my opinion. You don't have to listen." she said, "Though, when you see her, I think you'll know that she'll never be the same."

She waved at him and trotted off the grounds. Jiraiya could only stare after her, his mouth slighltly agape. This little girl...

Unbelievable.


	18. Fugaku

When Itachi came home early from an A-Class mission, he expected to see his mother at the stove, his father at the dining table, and Sasuke running up to him to give his older brother a big hug. But on this particular day, his mother had gone out shopping, presumably taking Sasuke with her. If those two were out, just exactly where was his father?

Itachi looked around the bedrooms and living room, but found nothing. He walked around the main house and decided to check the large room Fugaku used for meetings with other clan members. Focusing his senses, he pinpointed that his father's chakra was indeed in the meeting room, but there was another chakra signature. A very familiar one. Itachi's eyes narrowed as he slowly covered his chakra until there was no trace, then pressed his ear to the shoji screen that separated him from the two.

"This is your final decision, I presume."

That was his father.

"Yes, Fugaku-sama. I appreciate the offer, but it just isn't for me."

And the other was Sakura.

* * *

_Forty-seven... Forty-eight... Forty-nine..._

Sakura was doing push-ups at the usual training grounds. Ibiki had some work to catch up on and couldn't teach her a new lesson, so she settled for basic strength and endurance training.

_Fifty... Fifty-one... Fifty-two..._

She could be doing plenty more than this, like throwing accuracy or chakra control, but a ninja needed physical strength just as well as everything else. Sweat dampened every inch of her skin and her arms shook in fatigue.

_Fifty-three... Fifty-four... Fifty...Five..._

Sakura collapsed onto the grass with a sigh. Fifty-five push-ups. It wasn't as much as she planned out, but it should be enough. It's not like she was some over-enthusiastic ball of energy that decided to do a thousand push-ups as training- as if someone like that existed. She hauled herself off of the ground and sighed a second time.

"Sakura Haruno?"

The girl looked to the side to see a black-haired genin walk up to her. She greeted the unknown shinobi with a warm smile and a small wave.

"That's me, Shinobi-san!" exclaimed Sakura, "Do you need me for something?"

"Fugaku-sama is asking for you, and I am to escort you to him."

With really no position to decline, the six year-old gathered her things and followed the genin to the Uchiha compound. Like the first time she came here with Mikoto, she received plenty of curious and pointed stares from the other residents of the compound. Not being an Uchiha or a known shinobi, it was relatively normal for this sort of thing to happen.

The genin left her at a shoji door somewhere at the back of the main house. Before Sakura could take a step or form some words, she heard a deep voice call from inside.

"You may enter."

The six-year old carefully slid open the door and set foot into the room. Fugaku was kneeling in the center of the room. He motioned to the spot before him, and Sakura took it without question, setting her books beside her. She looked up at the Uchiha head curiously.

"I've heard a lot about you from Mikoto." he began, surveying the small girl with a mildly interested gaze, "And rumors from all over the ANBU syndicate. To my understanding, you are training under Ibiki Morino, the head interrogator. You are also of genin rank, if not higher, at the young age of six. Am I wrong?"

Sakura puffed out her cheeks and looked up in wonder.

"Ibiki Morino is my sensei. I don't really know about the genin rank thing, but I think sensei mentioned something along the lines of that." she answered. Fugaku 'hmmed'.

"I find it intriguing that a high-ranking individual would take on a young girl. But if he did so, you must be different from everyone else. I saw that much when I spotted the chakra string that tied the bouquet you gave to Mikoto. _And_ when I saw the_ Ja no Kuchi_ you performed in front of Itachi a few months ago." he said. Sakura hid the smirk that threatened to form on her face.

"I did do that, so is that why you called me her? To tell me how different I am from other six year olds?" she questioned.

"Something along the lines of that." Fugaku replied, "But answer this first: how long will it take you to graduate the academy?"

"Half a year."

She was neither overestimating or underestimating herself. As she had said before, she had snuck into one of the classes. It was boring, unnerving- easy. Fugaku raised a brow in obvious surprise. That would mean beating his son half a year. Though, he shouldn't be surprised at her declaration. Another rumor he had heard was that she went on a mission with Ibiki at the age of five and came back, oddly enough, with a katana and a mysterious scroll- nothing that Ibiki was familiar with.

"If it takes half a year for you to graduate and you join in the second semester, I offer you the backing of the Uchiha clan when you enter the academy."

_**What?**_

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes for a few seconds, just trying to digest that information. The backing... of the Uchiha clan? Just to get her to graduate so early? This was simply unreal. The girl furrowed her brow and stared at the floor in deep thought. The head of a clan, especially Fugaku Uchiha, wouldn't just throw out an offer with insane benefits for her and none for the clan-

Ah.

He wanted something in return. Of course. She doubted he would tell her exactly what he wanted until the time came. For now, it was a game where only he knew the rules. Sakura looked back up at those onyx-colored eyes that every Uchiha possessed and gave him a wide grin.

"I will not be entering the academy anytime soon." she said. It was Fugaku's turn to become thoroughly confused.

"I have already planned when I would join the academy, and it's when I turn eight." continued Sakura, "I know it's a little later than usual, but from now, it will give me two years for me to train with Ibiki-sensei and learn as much as I can. After those two years are up, I will take the entrance exam that will land me in the class where my age group is in- Year Two. I will then sit in class for the remaining four years to graduate with my age group."

"Why waste your time when you can graduate in half a year?"

"It's better to be with my peers, you know? That way, there's no additional pressure put on me. And once my genin team turns to chuunin, I can go about and do what I want. I'd rather have people not know me, that way they'll never know what's coming. Don't you think you'd keep a tab on a person if they graduate in half a year, just being seven years old?"

Point taken.

Fugaku couldn't argue with her logic seeing that she was 100% right. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. The girl was very smart, far past his expectations. She turned the game board and planted the winning piece. He glanced at her smiling face.

"This is your final decision, I presume."

"Yes, Fugaku-sama. I appreciate the offer, but it just isn't for me."

He nodded.

"Then farewell, Sakura. I know I'll see you more in the future."

Sakura bowed in respect and popped onto her feet. She swept all the things in her arms, bowed once more, and trotted out of the room. She passed Itachi along the hallway and flashed him a bright grin before heading out of the compound. Fugaku followed soon after and stopped beside his eldest son.

"A dangerous friend you've got there, Itachi. Good luck with that one."

His father walked inside the house. Itachi stared incredulously after him, looked back at the direction Sakura went, then back to direction his father walked off to.

… Then back towards Sakura's direction.

_What had just happened?_


	19. A True Prodigy

"But sensei~!" Sakura whined.

"No means no, brat."

She crossed her arms and pouted in defeat. Ibiki was going on a solo S-Class with the option to take his student along. He immediately declined. She asked him plenty of times as to why he wouldn't let her go, and the answer was always 'it's too dangerous'. Ibiki's eyes softened as he looked at the disappointment etched in her face. He tossled her short hair.

"Look, I don't want you getting hurt." he said, "The last mission I took you on ended with me unconscious and you getting a katana and a scroll- where did you get those things anyways?"

She stuck her tongue out then looked away.

"I won't complain anymore, sensei," she grumbled, "But when you get back, you're gonna teach me a new jutsu! No exceptions!"

He smirked and patted her head for good measure before walking out of the village. Sakura watched his retreating form before turning on her heel and waling towards the training grounds. As she set up her targets, one of her friends emerged from a nearby tree.

"G'morning, Zetsu-san!" she smiled. Zetsu, once again without his flytrap additions, sat against a tree just a few feet away from Sakura's targets.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan. _**Your sensei's out on a mission again? I thought he would've taken you with him this time.**_"

She puffed out her cheeks as she took out sixteen kunai from her holder.

"He wouldn't let me because of what happened last time."

"I'm not surprised, _**you went on a fucking adventure with an S-Class shinobi while I played doctor back at the inn.**_ You could've told us you'd be gone for five hours."

Sakura grinned sheepishly and jumped onto Zetsu to give him a hug. He returned it immediately. Again, he wondered what he was doing. In all his life, he had never been close to anyone. He was born from a test tube and trained to be a weapon that spied from the shadows. There was no love in his so-called childhood- he just happened to be an experiment that went horribly right.

"Zetsu-san?"

And of all people to extend a smile and get out their way to become his friend, this little girl had stepped up to the challenge. Zetsu had grown accustomed to looking out for himself and himself only. After all, the only person you could trust in the world of missions, lies, and shinobi was yourself.

"Zetsu-san!"

But this pink thing went out of her way to become his friend even if he tried to kill her. She wasn't afraid to look death in the eye and spit in it's face. It was rare, almost non-existent, to find someone so young and so... disturbed... yet managed to live and hide behind a grin and the words: 'I'm okay'.

"ZETSU-SAN!"

Zetsu focused on Sakura, who was sitting cross-legged in his lap.

"_**What the hell are you on about, squirt?**_"

"You spaced out and didn't answer my question!" she exclaimed. Zetsu raised a brow.

"What question?"

Sakura sighed and gave the man a playful glare.

"I said: I saw Itachi-san do this cool move yesterday and I think I can do it too. Do you wanna see?"

Itachi? As in- Uchiha? The prodigy?

Zetsu nodded, curious to see what Sakura had in store. Her eyes brightened up as she hopped of his lap and ran to the edge of the training grounds. She held two kunai in each available space between her fingers, making a total of eight kunai in each hand. As she prepared the execution, the grass ninja combed the training grounds with his mustard yellow eyes. A large rock sat between the girl and three ground targets. The other fifteen were placed on tree in various levels and distances.

_Just what did she plan to do?_

Without warning, she burst forward with speed unimaginable for a six year old. Before she ran straight into the large boulder, she vaulted high up in the air and closed her eyes.

What Zetsu saw next made his mind go blank for a few seconds.

Sakura's movement was so graceful and fluid as she spun upside down and launched each kunai. She landed with a soft 'thump' on the otherside of the rock. Zetsu stood and inspected the targets. Each kunai hit dead center.

"_**Impossible**_. How could she...?"

Not a single kunai strayed from its mark.

"How was that, Zetsu-san?! Was I good?" she questioned excitedly.

"You did well, Sakura-chan._** You have the precision and accuracy of a true, freakin' kunoichi.**_"

She blushed in childish pleasure as she skitted off to reclaim all her weapons. He stared after her, still mildly surprised at her performance. Those skills were so unreal. She was a six year old that had the ability to copy the Uchiha's eleven year old prodigy _perfectly_.

This girl was deadly and could become even deadlier then anything he had ever seen.

"You are a girl _**to be feared**_." he chuckled.


	20. Smile

"Yosh!" Sakura exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air, "I still can't believe you're finally taking me on a mission!"

Ibiki chuckled as they sped through the trees southwest of Fire Country. River Country was just a few hours away from their grasp, and so far, they haven't been tailed or attacked. It was a pretty decent A-Class mission. All they had to do was deliver a highly classified set of papers to the daimyou of the country. The mission included the risk of running into some bandits that wanted to steal this particular information, but strangely enough, there were no sign of them.

"So sensei, I think I got a hold of that new jutsu you taught me." she said. They stopped under the shade of a large tree to take a short break. He smirked.

"Oho, you did? I think you can put it to good use now. We have some company."

A group of four crimson-clad bandits appeared around them in a circle. Ibiki and Sakura stood back to back and assessed just what kind of enemy they had on their hands. From the looks of it, they weren't just some D-ranking insects. The leader motioned towards the two silently and the attack began. One made way for Sakura, the other three towards Ibiki.

The bandit assigned to Sakura looked around. That stupid girl, where was she? Suddenly, a cluster of kunai shot from his right; he skidded left only to be assaulted with more of the short blades. The bandit scoffed.

"I guess you aren't just a dumb brat, are you? You're pretty good."

In a flash, he was behind her and her perch on a high branch. He brought his heel down and sent her crashing to the ground.

"But not good enough, apparently." he sneered. He walked up next to her small body and tapped her with the sole of his sandal. It disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What the-?!"

He didn't even have time to turn around.

Fifteen minutes later, Ibiki stared down at the three incapacitated bodies at his feet. They were standard B-ranks, nothing too big. They were a good fight, but weren't there four...?

'_Shit! Sakura!'_

The interrogator bolted from the scene to find his student. When he arrived, he froze. Sakura had performed the technique he taught her, Doton: Domu, that hardened one's skin into near-indestructibility. Her entire arm had turned dark gray with the jutsu, but it was a pulsing red as it pierced through the neck of the enemy. But that wasn't what caused Ibiki to flinch and stare.

It was Sakura's smile.

She had killed that B-rank so easily, like he was nothing more than a pesky roach. His life was ended with an arm through the throat- a most gruesome way. The blood spray had gotten all over Sakura's face and upperbody, and he had expected some sort of discomfort or trauma, that bandit being her very first kill. But he couldn't believe what he saw. She had on the maniacal smile of someone who truly enjoyed killing.

They were on their way back to Konoha when Ibiki asked the question.

"Sakura."

"Hai, sensei?"

"Why did you smile when you killed that man?"

Her steps slowed to a stop as her eyebrows furrowed. Ibiki stopped as well and peered at her curiously. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were wide and filled with confusion.

"I was... smiling?"


	21. Inner Sakura

"Get a move on it you SLAGS! I'm not getting paid to see you grovel in the dirt!"

Seven year old Sakura grimaced as she kept pace along with the other fifteen people tied up in a line. A slave line.

It all started when Ibiki and Anko were assigned a mission to Tori no Kuni to investigate a slave trading system of helpless civilians and stop the trade at all costs. Sakura had joined them, naturally. Her, Anko, and Ibiki had taken separate ways to locate the trade, and the girl had found them almost instantly. She didn't see any other way to infiltrate but to let herself be 'captured'. And here she was, three days later, hands bound with rope.

The line stopped for the second time that day to allow the captives to rest. Sakura sat next to a sixteen year old captive with her ration of stale bread and water.

"Akemi-san, how are you holding up?"

Akemi had been taken from a quiet civilian town in Yugakure a few months back and had been in the slave line ever since.

"I'm fine, Sakura-chan. Really." Akemi smiled at Sakura and nibbled on her piece of bread. The line began to move as soon as it has stopped, pulling along the line of girls. One of the slave traders- a ninja- came up beside Akemi with a smirk. He nudged her with his elbow.

"A pretty little thing, aren't you? A shame that you'll be sold." he said. Akemi kept her mouth shut and focused her eyes on the ground. The trafficker clicked his tongue and forced her chin up with the hilt of his kunai.

"Aw, you're not going to say anything?"

His mocking lasted for half an hour before Akemi couldn't take it anymore and-

-spit in his face.

The trafficker grew with rage and backhanded her across the face, forcing her to the floor. Big. Mistake. Sakura's eyes darkened a few shades. The man swiped the saliva off of his face and yanked the whip from his belt. All the other civilians stopped and cowered as they watched the seen with wide, frightened eyes. He brought up his whip.

"You insolent wench!"

CRACK!

Sakura's forearm received the blow. Akemi stared at the seven-year old, horrified.

"Sakura-chan! Are you-?!"

"Akemi-san." Sakura said steadily. The teen shut her mouth, "And all you others. Please, close your eyes and count to fifteen. Do not open them until you do."

Everyone was wary, taking orders from such a young girl, but what did they have to lose? They did as they were told and drew in a deep breath.

"One..."

Sakura slipped off the rope from her thin wrists.

"Two..."

She took off her wrist weights.

"Three..."

Next came the bicep weights.

"Four..."

Then the waist and thigh weights.

"Five..."

And lastly, the ankle weights.

"Six..."

She looked at the five traffickers with a toothy grin and gleeful malice.

"Seven..."

Sakura popped her neck as she rolled her shoulders.

"Eight..."

Her legs spread slightly as they took their stance.

"Nine..."

She launched-

"Ten..."

And showed no mercy.

"Eleven..."

A scream.

"Twelve..."

Two more...

"Thirteen..."

Three thumps echoed.

"Fourteen..."

A choked cry and two more thumps sounded before all was silent.

"Fifteen..."

When Akemi opened her eyes, she couldn't believe what she saw. Sakura, that sweet little girl that kept her company the past three days, was drenched in blood, five bodies littered around her. The girl's back was facing the group of prisoners.

"Sorry..." she mumbled, "That I didn't save you guys sooner."

Akemi shivered at the cold tone.

"I needed intel, but they didn't give it. Unfortunately, they had gotten on my_** last fucking nerve. I couldn't help but give them a little taste of what they **__**deserved**_**. **_**They got off lucky, those bastards.**_"

Sakura turned around and smiled at them sweetly, unfazed by all the blood.

Akemi wondered in silent fear. She had never seen an angel turn into demon then back again.


	22. Tenzou's Thoughts

Tenzou watched as Sakura balanced herself with one finger on the tip of a kunai as her legs pointed straight in the air. It didn't matter how many times he saw her exhibit her sheer skill- he was always amazed at the things she could do. The first thing Tenzou saw was the water dragon, then her endurance with the weights, next the kunai dance, and finally, her perfect balance and chakra control. He didn't know just how at seven years old, a little girl could be as physically able and intelligent as a chuunin. It was simply unheard of.

Sakura was the top of any prodigial talent he had ever seen.

Then again, there was an equally head-turning downside.

Tenzou was a specialized ANBU. The missions he was needed on came every once in a while, so he often spent his free time roaming around the ANBU headquarters. And contrary to popular belief, ANBU operatives weren't stiffs. They were gossip girls.

Sure, during their work hours they were bland, expressionless, and unreluctant. But when off-duty hours came, off came the masks and on came the laughter. They'd talk about anything and everything, so naturally, Tenzou would pick up a few things here and there. One particularly interesting topic came up when he accompanied Kagura, Towa and Anko at the nearest bar.

_"So I went to the north end of the forest, right? I found nothing, so I went to go meet up with Ibiki. I caught up to him a few minutes later, and as luck would have it, he found jack shit at the east end." Anko said. She took a gulp of beer before continuing, "So then we head over to Sakura at the west end, and boy, were we in for a surprise."_

_"She found the slave line?" Kagura asked. _

_"I wish she just found it. Sakura freed the civilians... but massacred the traffickers."_

_Stunned silence crowded over the four. Anko stared into her cup, her expression suddenly turning serious._

_"There were five of them. Four of them had their midsections cut in half and the other had his head nearly decapitated. The worst part of it all was that she was completely unaffected. When we arrived, she greeted us with her sweet smile despite being covered head to toe with the enemy's blood."_

Only then had it occcured to Tenzou that there was a cost at Sakura being as good as she was. Along with all her raw, uncomparable talent came this mental instability. He had also heard from Ibiki that she tended to crack a smile when she kills her opponents. He hadn't seen her kill someone before, but he was sure it would be a terrifying sight. He sighed and looked over at Sakura. She was beginning to do push ups.

For god's sake, the girl was seven years old.

How could she both ruthless and kind? It didn't make any sense under any circumstance.

Tenzou could only imagine what type of person she would become on the future. He was sure that she would be as kind and polite as she was now, but that trauma would still have its place and her skill would multiply tenfold if not greater. She would become one of the most powerful kunoichi out there.

At this young age, she had already experienced tragedy, death, and sorrow.

In the future, she would fear nothing.

And in the future, everyone would fear her.

Sakura jumped up from her one hundredth push up and trotted over to the wood style user sitting on a nearby boulder.

"Ne, ne, Tenzou-san! I just finished my training, you wanna head up to headquarters now?" she chirped. He mustered as smile and stood up. She wasn't at that point yet, and the least he could do was enjoy who she was now.

"Lead the way, Sakura-chan."


	23. Naruto Namikaze

"Itachi-san!"

The newly instated ANBU turned around to see little Sakura Haruno trot towards him with her usual bubbly smile. He waited for her to catch up before inclining his head in greeting.

"Good morning, Sakura. What are you doing here so early?"

"Sensei has a meeting so he can't train me today." she pouted, causing Itachi's lips to quirk up, "So now I'm here. What are you doing today, Itachi-san?"

They continued down the street and into the ANBU building. Sakura grew quiet when Itachi approached the office of the First ANBU Captain- Daichi Nakahara. Itachi motioned for the girl to stay outside, which she complied to immediately. When he disappeared through the door way, Sakura walked towards the hallway window and peered out. The Hokage, as well as a kid around her age, were the nearing the ANBU HQ. She cocked her head to the side in wonder. Who was that boy?

After Minato entered the building, he walked past Daichi's office. He spotted Sakura and gave her a smile.

"Hello, Sakura-chan. Are you waiting for one of your friends?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama! Itachi-san's talking with Daichi-sama!" she said. Just as she finished her sentence, that strange boy popped up in front of her with the biggest, brightest grin she had ever seen.

"So your name's Sakura-chan, right?! Nice ta meet cha! My name's Naruto Namikaze and I'm gonna be Hokage just like my tou-san, dattebayo!" he exclaimed, holding his arms out.

He was loud but incredibly sweet. Sakura couldn't help but giggle and accepted the hug he offered. Naruto squeezed her tightly.

"I've decided!" he shouted, "You're gonna be my new best friend! Whattya think?!"

She nodded with a smile on her face.

"Sounds good enough to me, Naruto-kun."

Minato tugged on the boy's hand and they walked down the hallway. Naruto waved back at her amiably, his father chuckling at his cheerfulness. Once she was sure he was gone, her features crossed into that of interest. Naruto Namikaze, Minato Namikaze's son. He sure didn't act like his father, so must've taken after his mother. Sakura had heard rumors about Kushina. She was very spunky loud, and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

The door to Daichi's office creaked open and out stepped Itachi as blank-faced as he entered. Sakura re-attached herself to Itachi's side and looked up at him.

"Is everything okay?"

"Mm. Daichi-sama told me about my progress, nothing more." he replied softly. The girl 'hmmed' to herself before taking hold of his hand and tugging him down the streets. Itachi gave her a questioning glance which she returned with a grin as big as Naruto's.

"Let's head down to the nearest dango shop! I'm in the mood for it, aren't you?"

Itachi smiled.


	24. The Academy: Day One

Sakura stared at the large red doors of the Ninja Academy and sighed. The sun was barely peeking over the Hokage monument and no one was on the streets. Class started in about, oh, three hours.

It was 5:30 am.

She silently cursed her sensei. If he hadn't made it mandatory to be up and about by five o'clock three years ago, she could still be curled up in her blankets fast asleep. She rocked herself back and forth on the swing beside the building. Being in the Academy would be far too easy for her, but she knew it was the right way to go. If she took the full term being a late entry, she wouldn't be suspected as a prodigy or someone special.

"And here you are- all alone. _**Honestly, how much more suspicious can you look, brat?**_"

Sakura swatted at the tree lazily, hoping half-heartedly to whack Zetsu in the face. He knocked her on the head and poked out the tree halfway.

"Good morning to you too." she pouted. "And for your information, I'm just waiting for school to start."

"School?" he echoed. A green eyebrow raised, "You're eight years old and you're only starting school now? I thought that in Konoha you start school at six? _**Hell, I've known you for three years, I'm pretty damn sure that you don't need to go to the Academy. You've completed S-Class assassinations for crying out loud! You're basically an ANBU already!**_"

"I know that Zetsu-san. But you know, why not?" she shrugged. Zetsu rolled his eyes.

"_**Should've expected that answer.**_ So with your_ brilliant_ mind, what are you going to do? Graduate in a year or take the standard four years?"

"Standard four."

He nodded in understanding. It was a good plan to slide through the system as a normal Academy student even if her ability did stash her up with the ANBU of the village. The less attention she drew to herself, the less she had to worry about. Zetsu kept her company until the first teacher finally came two hours later.

"Oh my, you're rather early, young lady! You must be the new student in my class, um, Sakura Haruno, correct?"

Sakura's eyes slid to the right and up at the grinning man. He was probably chuunin by his lack of him cloaking his chakra or by the slight heavyness of his footsteps. She smiled back at him.

"Hai~! Nice to meet you!" she exclaimed. She held her hand out. Jun shook her hand unreluctantly and motioned towards the building.

"Likewise, Sakura-chan. I'm Jun Furukawa, the third year teacher. Should we get into the building then? Since you're here so early, I'll see how well you understand first and second year curriculum- with you being a newcomer and all."

Sakura nodded and followed Jun into the building. She walked a few steps behind him and watched his every movement. Suddenly, she sighed and stopped in the middle of the hallway. Jun stopped as well and looked over his shoulder curiously.

"Is something the matter Sa-"

"Stop faking your heavy footsteps, _Jun-sensei_. It's unbefitting of a high ranking ninja like yourself to house rather poor acting skills. So instead of pretending to be my sensei, can you please tell me why you're here?" she demanded lightly. The corner of_ Jun's_ lips quirked up as he let the genjutsu go. He revealed himself to be a ROOT ANBU.

"Very good, Haruno-san." he stated blandly, "You discovered my disguise in a lesser time than I had expected. I am Hawk, one of Danzo-sama's shinobi."

He disappeared.

Sakura shook her head and sighed again. A ROOT operative had just tested her genjutsu detecting skills for reasons unknown to her. But she knew a bad situation when she saw one. She pinched the bridge of her nose and entered her classroom to wait for the real Jun-sensei to show up.

What a great start to the day.


	25. Inoichi

She should have thought this through. She should have planned out what she would do during the seven hours of class. Jun-sensei was a very peppy teacher that taught his lessons with vigor and the students seemed to enjoy his class, but the lessons were so painfully simple for Sakura that she spent thirty seconds working through assignments and spent the rest of the time reading through the newest copy of the Bingo Book.

Today they had a test, and as per usual, Sakura was done in less than a minute. She was doodling on her paper to give the illusion that she was still working. Naruto sat next to her. He was glaring at the test so intently that the paper could have crumpled under his death scare. Next to Naruto was Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi's little brother. He was rather bright and was about, oh, five minutes away from completing his test. Though, he had just a tad too much faith in his skills. So, yeah. Cocky.

Behind Sakura was a shy soul named Hinata Hyuuga. She was very easy to get along with and that stutter of hers was completely bearable. She was sharp as well, getting through the test with ease. It was obvious that she was part of the top ten in academics. It was also obvious that she had this major crush on Naruto. Everyone knew about it except Naruto.

Last but not least was Ino Yamanaka. She was loud, stood out, and was having a teensy amount of trouble with her test, but not a lot. She had a crush on Sasuke, as did the other 98% of the class. Sakura wasn't too up about it. He was pretty cute, but she had other things to worry about.

When the bell rung at the end of the day, Sakura gathered her books and was about to make her way to her regular training grounds. Ino ran up behind her with Hinata following close behind.

"Sakura! Oi, Sakura!" Ino called. Sakura turned around and flashed a smile.

"What's up?"

"I'm going to have a sleepover at my house tomorrow! It took me for-_ever_ to get Hinata to come and I was hoping that you'll be able to come too! So? How about it? Can you make it tomorrow after school?"

Sakura cocked her head to the side and gave it some thought.

"Sure."

A few more words were exchanged before the three parted ways.

The next day after class, Ino led both Sakura and Hinata to the Yamanaka flower shop. They greeted Ino's mother, Ayaka, and soon wound up in the lavender room on the second floor. Three futons were laid out in the large space. Sakura set down her school bag and noted every possible escape route she saw. Then, she mentally jotted down everything in the room that could be used as a potential weapon.

"So!" Ino exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips, "What do you guys want to do first?"

"Ano... wh-what about... watching m-movies?" Hinata suggested quietly. Ino's eyes brightened considerably.

"SCARY MOVIES!" she screeched happily. Ino burst downstairs to get a stack of movies. Horror dawned over Hinata's face as she chased after the blonde.

"N-No! Ino, w-w-wait!"

Sakura laughed.

* * *

Inoichi arrived home from the Interrogation Building at about nine o'clock. While eating his late dinner on the kitchen island, he looked at three eight year olds as they watched _Misaki's Mirror- Reflections of Broken Glass._ It was one of the popular and incredibly scary movies out there. Her chuckled when Ino and the Hyuuga girl nearly fell off the couch when a ghastly shriek echoed out from the TV. The pink haired girl only giggled. It was... odd.

"Hey Ayaka-chan... what's that girl's name?"

"Hm? Oh, that's Sakura Haruno. She's the newcomer of Ino's class. She's also a very strange girl, but you've already noticed that, haven't you?"

Inoichi nodded and observed Sakura further. The girl was... unfazed by all the horror effects of the movie. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but you would expect_ some_ reaction from an eight year old. And that reaction didn't include giggles when people were brutally murdered.

When Ayaka went into the bathroom, Inoichi formed a hand seal and aimed at the back of Sakura's head.

_'Shintenshin no Jutsu!'_

His body slumped noiselessly against the counter and Sakura stilled.

_Inside Sakura's mind, Inoichi opened his eyes to crimson. It was like a thick, red ocean, and he was right in the middle of it. His hand quickly covered his mouth. His lungs... they were burning like... like he was drowning..._

**"Realized your mistake, haven't you?"**_ a sinister voice mused. _**"Aw, what's the matter? Having trouble breathing? Well, let me answer your question at least. You are drowning. Not in water. In blood."**

_He looked around, but saw no one. This couldn't be the girl's mind. It just couldn't be. It's too... too..._

**"Vicious? Vile? Disgusting? Repulsive? Take your pick. I've heard them all."**_ the voice said. Inoichi was shocked to the core. He was slowly taking everyithing in. The voice was not Sakura's. It was darker and full of cruel humor. The blood... Who's blood was it?_

**"Who's blood indeed!"**_ the voice exclaimed. It shrieked with laughter before Sakura herself walked through the sea like she were on land. When she reached Inoichi, she gave him a bright smile._

_"Get out." she chirped._

_He felt himsellf be forcefully ripped from the girl's mindscape._

Back in the real world, once his consciousness returned, Inoichi shot up onto his feet. Hinata and Ino were still engrossed in the movie, and Sakura was looking at him, grinning from ear to ear.


	26. Shikaku

"Hey Ibiki, is your student's name Sakura Haruno by any chance?" Inoichi questioned. The head interrogator looked behind him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah... why do you ask?"

Inoichi's slapped a hand over his face and grumbled to himself.

"...That explains a lot."

* * *

Shikaku Nara cracked his neck and heaved a sigh. Minato was running him late hours again and he was dirt tired. He reached for a book stacked on his table and flipped it open. From the corner of his eye, he saaw a flash of pink. Shikaku furrowed his brow and looked to his left. A young academy student stood in front of one of the bookshelves, slowly browsing through the titles.

He recognized her as one of the new students in his son's class. He blinked a few times before rubbing his eyes and looking at her again. What in the world was she doing here? This library was reserved for Jounin and ANBU members only. Just how did she...? He stood up lazily and approached the girl with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Oi, kid. How did you get in here?"

The girl turned around and handed him a rectangular piece of green metal. It was an official key card that had the name_** SAKURA HARUNO**_ etched in thick block letters. These cards held a special chakra pattern to them and only allowed use to the one who owned it. Aside from having the card, the colored dots underneath her name interested him as well. Key cards weren't used very often, but they were a handy thing to have.

The card had a black dot, which allowed access to the Torture and Interrogaton Building, a red dot, which allowed access into this library, an orange dot, which allowed access into the ANBU Building, a pink dot, which allowed access into Training Ground 44, and a gray dot, which allowed access into the Intelligence Building.

For an eight year old to have a card and be allowed such a privilege was simply unheard of.

"I come to the library often and no one minds," Sakura supplied, taking back the card, "I also have friends in the I also have friends in the Interrogation and Intelligence sectors as well as ANBU. Actually, I appeared there so much that they decided to give me this key card two years ago."

Shikaku smirked.

"You must be Ibiki's student then, aren't you?"

She grinned.

"The one and only, Nara-san."

After a few words, Sakura picked up the book she had been looking for, waved, and left the library. Shikaku crossed his arms.

_'Ibiki's student and most likely the girl Inoichi said had an unstable mind. She didn't look any dangerous though... I wonder what she's hiding...'_


	27. Itachi's Decision

"I hope you understand your situation, Itachi." Koharu Utatane, the sole female council woman, said. Itachi, who was kneeling before the three council members and the Hokage, kept his head down as he spoke.

"Hai, Utatane-sama."

"You don't have to go through with it if you don't want to." Minato inputed softly, "You don't have to take on the burden if you have no desire to."

"_But_, this is all on your decision. Whatever you decide is the catalyst to the outcome." Homura Mitokado stressed.

"And if you make the wrong decision, everything will be put onto you." added Danzo. Itachi refrained from sighing and settled for taking a breath instead.

"... Hai. I understand."

"Then you have 24 hours to give us your answer. You are dismissed."

Itachi stood and bowed, the left the office in his usual, calm manner. Thoughts whirled through his mind. The clan. The clan. The clan. What was he going to do? Murder his family in cold blood for the village, or stay loyal to the Uchiha and betray the village? There were only two paths for him, and he knew they were both wrong.

But Konoha...

There was nothing he loved more than Konoha, besides his baby brother, that is.

He rounded a corner to see Sakura sitting on the ground at a deserted playground, staring up at a tree. Her head was cocked to the side and her cheeks were puffed out. He approached her silently and took a seat next to her on the edge of the sandbox. There were a few seconds of silence.

"What's the matter, Itachi-san?" she questioned. He wouldn't lie, he was amazed that she could sense his discomfort when no one else couldn't. Perhaps she could help him with his problem and tell him if what he had in mind was the right decision.

"In a few months, I am going to kill my clan to protect the village as well as my little brother."

Immediately, Sakura stood and moved in front of him.

_**"For a genius, you're pretty fucking stupid!"**_she snarled. Itachi visibly flinched, startled by her vulgar outburst. He was surprised to find her eyes a few shades darker and even more surprised to see her baring her teeth at him with an animalistic growl.

_**"What do you think you'll achieve with a mass slaughter that will no doubt scar the little brother you're trying so hard to protect?!"**_ she exclaimed angrily. Itachi sighed.

"It is the only way to protect him from the clan's ideals. They are planning a coup de'tat-"

_**"Then let them plan it."**_ she interrupted with a steel voice, _**"Let them execute it if they ever do. I guarantee you that less lives will be lost and your little brother will find the truth out for himself."**_Sakura's eyes faded back to its usual green, "I know you want to be a good big brother and a faithful shinobi to Konoha, but there aer so many ways to be both without giving up your life. As a wise man once said, _'We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them'_."

She turned to the direction of her house.

"At least be thankful that you family's still around to love you." mumbled Sakura. She started to walk away, "Some of us aren't that lucky, you know."

The Uchiha stared after her with soft eyes and his mouth hanging slightly agape. He stood there for a few seconds before forcing his legs to move to the Hokage Tower.

The answer was clear enough now.

** _'We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them'_.- Albert Einstein


	28. Flinch

By the end of Sasuke's third year at the Academy, Fugaku could say that he was quite pleased with the people his youngest son had befriended. One was his eccentric best friend/rival, Naruto Namikaze, and the other- Sakura Haruno. Sakura was a very good person to have as an ally no doubt about it. Although Fugaku was sure none of the students or the teachers knew of her prodigial talents, he couldn't turn a blind eye to her. Not when she could affect anyone around her.

Take Itachi, for example.

Just last year, Itachi had been acting rather strange. He had been avoiding meetings, not looking his parents in the eye, and so on and so forth. But the more Sakura frequented herself around him, he had returned to normal, no incident. She was a good influence on him whether he knew so or not. Fugaku took a sip of his tea and stared out of the window. Sasuke, Naruto, and were out training.

He was somewhat adverse about letting three nine year olds practice throwing kunai alone. They were on the opposite side fo the village from where the compound was, and it was gettng late. So as Mikoto finished cleaning up after dinner, Fugaku stepped out of the house and kept a considerable amount of distance behind the trio of kids.

One thing he noticed was that Naruto and Sasuke did all of the throwing and bickering while Sakura sat on the sidelines and merely observed. She was surprisingly calm and didn't seem to be on guard at all. It took Fugaku a few seconds before he saw it.

It was a bunshin.

He walked away from the training grounds and tried to locate Sakura. After scoping around with his sharingan, he found her in a different clearing about a mile away. Fugaku let the red fade from his eyes and shunshinned to a branch above the scene. What he saw made his mind go blank.

A man- a lightning shinobi- was pinned to a tree with his hands and stomach impaled with a single katana. Sakura was sitting crosslegged on the grass, polishing shuriken. She held it to the moonlight, smiled at its shine, and threw it at the man's shoulder.

"Are you going to tell me now?" she questioned cheerily. The shinobi spat to the side and glowered at the small girl, but said nothing. Her smile grew as she chucked another shuriken, this time hitting his thigh. Fugaku flinched.

"Does it surprise you?"

The Uchiha looked to his left at Ibiki who had suddenly appeared.

"Her capability, I mean." Ibiki clarified, "Her potential steers towards the darker side of the shinobi, well, not that there's a lighter side, but you know what I mean."

Fugaku looked back to the clearing and crossed his arms.

"I'm not going to lie- it does. I wasn't aware that she is able to do something like this with a smile on her face." he answered quietly. Ibiki crouched and watched as Sakura pulled out a sixth kunai, this time aiming for the left thigh. God, what was this man? A_ dart board_?

"It's not the first time, and it certainly won't be the last. When she kills people, she smiles. There's no helping it."

Down below, a vein popped on Sakura's head. She was growing increasingly aggravated with his inability to cooperate. She threw another shuriken at his shoulder. He said nothing, causing her to snap. She let her eyes grow darker and slowly pushed herself off the floor.

_**"You think this is a fuckin' game? Huh?!"**_she growled. The foreigner's head shot up at the sudden change of voice,_** "Do you think I have enough patience to deal with you? It's been an hour, and you're starting to piss me the fuck off. So here's my deal. I give you one minute to tell me what you tried to achieve by trying to attack my friends. You tell me that, I'll let you leave with a sliver of your miserable life. If I can't pry open your mouth, I'll pry open your chest cavity. Your pick."**_

Fugaku blinked and looked at the head interrogator.

"Her demeanor... does this happen often?"

Ibiki shook his head.

"No. I've only seen her like this once before."

They quieted down again and watched Sakura's split personality take over. Sakura stood there with her arms crossed for a full thirty seconds, unmoving. The next thirty seconds after that, poision-tipped senbon had been stabbed at every available space on his next. The second ticked by like hours as the man tried to hold back his agonized filled screams. All the while, the girl inspected her nails.

Finally, it had been a whole minute. Sakura scoffed and whipped out a kunai.

_**"Wrong choice."**_

The life left him with the snap of her small fingers. She collected all of her weapons and walked away from the mutilated body.

"I'll leave the clean up to you, sensei." she called out, "Oh, and good evening to you, Fugaku-sama!"

Fugaku and Ibiki stared at her as she disappeared in a cloud of ash-ridden smoke. She was truly remarkable. Deadly, but remarkable.


	29. The S-Class Mission: Part One

Minato stared out the window of his office as an irritated sigh escaped his lips. The council was as uncooperative as ever, the main councilman being Danzo Shimura. His ideals weren't fit for the prosperity of Konoha and it's people. If Danzo were to put into power, everything would turn to war. What was he to do now? Danzo was filling the council with ridiculous likes and plans that would ruin Konoha. The sad part was that they were actually starting to believe him.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Sakura walked in with a stack of folders in her arms.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama!" she exclaimed, "Ibiki-sensei wanted these delivered to you. Do you want me to just set it on your desk?"

A sudden thought struck Minato, but he quickly shook it off and gave the girl a smile.

"Yes, thank you, Sakura-chan." he said. She saluted with a smile of her own and trotted out of the office. The Hokage looked back out the window and released another sigh. No. He wasn't going to do that to Sakura; he couldn't-wouldn't- put such a high burden on her shoulders. Then again, what other option did he have?

There wasn't a more subtle way, and Minato knew that. God, he hated what he was going to do- if only Sakura didn't have the skill that she did.

* * *

"Okay class, remember to complete your assignment tonight because it will be due first thing tomorrow morning!"

The bell rung, causing all the students to flood out of the room in a mass of chatter. Sakura split from the group as soon as they got outside and headed towards the training grounds, as per usual. She was nearly there when an ANBU appeared in the shadows next to her. She turned her head and smiled.

"Is there something I can help you with, Cat-san?" she asked.

"Hokage-sama wants you in his office. Immediately."

The ANBU disappeared as quickly as he came. Sakura puffed out her cheeks and began the long walk back. When she entered the office, no one was inside save for the Hokage himself. His expression was gravely serious.

"Sakura-chan, how many S-class missions have you taken part of in the past?" he questioned suddenly.

"Just one, Hokage-sama. When I was five and went with sensei to Kirigakure." she replied.

"Will you accept one more?"

Sakura's eyes lit up, a grin crawling onto her lips. She nodded once and Minato sealed off the entire room. He leaned forward.

"You will tell no one that you ever partook in this mission, even after you've completed it. You will not even admit to knowing anything about this, understood? Good. Now, your mission. Sakura Haruno, do you accept this mission to kill Danzo Shimura?"

The grin on Sakura's face grew even wider.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."


	30. The S-Class Mission: Part Two

Sakura walked around the ROOT ANBU headquarters, looking around curiously and admiring the dark and dreary atmosphere. There seemed like there was a constant chill in the air, and your footsteps echoed with every step you took. She walked a few more minutes in the spine-tingling silence before she got to her destination.

Sakura knocked on the door to Danzo's office in the heart of the headquarters. She then peered in.

"Danzo-sama?"

"Come in and close the door, Haruno." he ordered. She slid into the room and pushed her back against the door to close it. She looked at the elder.

"Danzo-sama, why did you call me to your office?" she asked. "And personally, nonetheless. I mean, we've never really spoken before, and... and... how do you know who I am?"

Danzo was quiet for a few seconds, considering her words. Suddenly, he reached for a file and opened it. He pushed the file to the opposite end of his desk and leaned into his seat. Overcome with curiosity, Sakura walked over and scanned the contents. There were pictures of her and pages covered with thorough descriptons of her abilities.

"I want you in ROOT."

"E-Eh?"

"You are a child prodigy whether you know so or not. That kind of talent should be put to use immediately, and there is no better way to use it than to see it flourish in the ROOT faction."

Sakura cocked her head to the side.

"Well, Danzo-sama, if I'm as dangerous as you say I am..."

Danzo raised an eyebrow, but tensed as a katana materialized in the girl's right hand.

"... shouldn't you be more careful?"

Her fingers uncurled into the snake seal.

"Genjutsu: Kai."

* * *

"Minato-sama." an ANBU operative said as he entered the Hokage's office, "Danzo-sama had been murdered."

Minato's head snapped up.

"What? Who did it?"

The ANBU laid some papers on the desk and pointed to the picture of the crime scene. Danzo's office was in a total wreck, but apparently, a barrier of vines covered the walls and flor so that they wouldn't be broken through. Blood pooled arouknd his body, particularly the right side where his arm was ripped off and was no where to be seen. His right eye was injured as well, and seemed to be gouged out. Besides that, there were no weapons to be seen and no sign of a particular jutsu.

"Currently, we have no leads. We have Inuzuka's and Aburame's looking around, but nothing has turned up. ROOT operatives saw no one enter his office at the estimated time of death, and there was nothing in the office that could have pointed to the murderer."

Minato leaned back into his chair, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"Alright." he said, "Continue on with the interrogation."

The ANBU bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Not too long after, Sakura limped in with a right crutch, cuts and bruises, and her arm in a sling. She greeted the Hokage with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning, Minato-sama." she said, "I completed the mission just like you told me to."

Minato nodded slowly in some state of disbelief.

"How did you do it?"

"I admit, I had some help."

"Oh? Who?"

Sakura grinned, though it looked strained. She opened her mouth to speak, but fell forwards before a single word could be uttered out of her mouth.

* * *

A nurse furrowed her brow as she looked at Sakura's medical chart, Minato at her side.

"I don't understand how we didn't see it before." she said. She gave the unconscious girl a weary stare, "It's rather sudden and we still are not sure how she sustained this- but she had _Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage_. It's a condition where blood goes into the alveoli in the lungs. This condition is very serious and can lead to death. Unfortunately, there's not a lot we could do but give her strong medication despite her young age."

Minato nodded to her as she left to get the medication. Sakura opened her eyes at that moment and had a coughing fit, sending blood onto her white bedsheets.

"I shoudn't have sent you on that mission. Danzo was craftier than I expected, and I never imagined he could inflict so much damage on you." he murmured regretfully. The nine year old waved a hand a mustered a grin.

"You're the Hokage, you have to do what you have to do. It's not your fault. I'm glad to have taken a small toll for the sake of the village." she said. Guilt built itself up inside of him. For the sake of the village, she had risked her life and now would have to live with a jutsu-induced lung condition.

"Get better, Sakura-chan."

"Don't worry about it, Minato-sama. I'll get out of this hospital soon enough." she coughed. He spoke to her for a few seconds longer before he had to return to his office. The minute the door shut, Zetsu appeared from the floor and went to her beside immediately.

"_**What happened to you?!**_" he hissed. "_**Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage?!**_ Do you know how serious that is?!"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Zetsu-san. I was on a mission and I wasn't..." her sentence was interrupted by a fit of coughing, "... I wasn't careful enough. Since I'm in the hospital now, can you please do me a favor?"

Zetsu sighed and sat at the foot of the bed.

"What do you need me to do?"

Sakura raised an arm and pointed to a duffle bag in the corner of the hospital room.

"Hide it somewhere you know no one will ever find it. Please."

Zetsu nodded and patted the girls head before standing and taking the bag. He unzipped the bag and looked at its contents. There was an arm littered with sharingan, and a jar with a lone sharingan eye floating in a green liquid.


	31. Journey to Kirigakure

Ten year old Sakura walked alongside Ibiki and Shikaku, deep in thought. They were currently on the mission to make amends with the Mizukage, but that was the last thing on Sakura's mind at the moment. Just before she went on this mission, she made a trip to the hospital to check up on her... illness. There was no cure. No way around it. And if she was too reckless, it could become terminal.

She pushed the thought out of her mind and forced a smile onto her face. This was only a minor setback; she wouldn't let something like this keep her down. Even if one day, it could kill her. As they approached the Mizukage's Tower, Sakura tugged on Ibiki's sleeve.

"Sensei, I'm going to roam around a bit. I'll see you in a few hours?"

"Go ahead, brat."

Sakura smiled and bounded off to who knows where. Shikaku raised a brow at the interrogator. Ibiki waved him off and continued into the building.

The girl walked the streets of the misty village, peering into bars and stores just trying to find the person she was looking for. Finally, she found him walking out of a weapons shop.

"Kisame-san!" she called out. The blue man stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. A pointed grin grew on his face as he crossed his arms and let out a low whistle.

"Sakura! Well looks who's a little lady. I haven't seen you in eight, nine months? I think you grew a few inches taller."

She stuck her tongue out before running up to him with a hug. Kisame returned it gladly and hefted the girl up onto his shoulders with a grunt. Sakura giggled happily. She loved it when Kisame let her sit on his shoulders. She felt like she was on the top of the world. Grabbing onto his navy hair, she smiled brightly.

"I'm pretty sure little girls like you aren't supposed to weigh a million pounds." he grumbled.

"It's the weights. You're currently carrying an extra 65.7 kilos (144.84 lbs), but you should be happy for this weight training. So Kisame-san, I never got to ask you this last time I came. How are things going with you and Suiren-san?" she asked. Kisame was suspiciously quiet for a few seconds. Sakura then heard his sheepish chuckle and whacked him at the back of the head.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"You suck, Kisame-san. You just suck."

"Shut up you pint-sized brat, I'm trying!"

"Yeah, 'Trying'. You had four years. FOUR YEARS!"

"This ain't a free ride you know! Unless you want to walk the rest of the way, I suggest you keep quiet about the matter. We'll cross that road when we get to it."

Sakura pouted and crossed her arms on top of the Kiri-nin's head. He walked to a nice little dango shop the edge of the village. He set her on her feet and they sat down on the outside bench, conversing casually. Kisame had to admit that he was a bit worried. Sakura was cheerful like usual, but...

She looked so discouraged for some reason.


	32. A Simple Conversation

Ibiki and Shikaku sat in a tea house beside the Mizukage Tower. They were taking a break from discussing the treaty, as it had been going on for about three hours now. Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, didn't disagree to much, but there was just too much to discuss. Shikaku sighed and leaned back into his chair as he looked out the tea house window.

"Where's Sakura-chan?"

"Who knows. She's always disappearing to places. She'll turn up eventually, though eventually better be soon."

Shikaku raised and eyebrow and Ibiki set his tea cup down at the man's unasked question.

"I'm only worried about her now because about a year ago, she became... sick. I don't want her to do anything that will make it worse." he murmured.

"Sick?" the Nara inquired.

"Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage. She got it so suddenly but... but she just doesn't tell me anything about it. She just smiles and tells me not to worry about it and it only worries me more. Sometimes I feel that she forgets that she's only a little girl, then I remember that she isn't."

There were a few minutes of silence, both deep in thought. Sakura was many things, but a child was not one of them. She had already killed so many people, completed 39 missions without having the official status as genin, and mastered fourteen jutsus. She was so strong that even with her illness she could be unstoppable. A thought suddenly crossed Ibiki's mind.

"One day, maybe soon, maybe later... do you think that Sakura would... leave... the village?"

"...I think we all know the answer to that one." Shikaku muttered honestly. Ibiki's eyes narrowed a fraction as he stared into his tea

"People like Sakura -prodigies- always have some burden on their shoulders." he continued. "A huge burden. Kakashi had the suicide of his father and the death of both his teammates. Itachi has the weight of his clan and the pressure of his day to day life. And now Sakura comes along. Both her parents are gone, her mind is somewhat unstable, and she has a disease that could become terminal. Geniuses want to learn, and what more is there to learn from staying in one place your entire life? It's a wonder that Itachi and Kakashi have not left, but I don't believe it will happen a third time."

They both looked at the clock. 4:16 pm. Shikaku heaved a sigh and pushed himself off of his seat.

"Shall we go?"

Ibiki nodded solemnly.


	33. The Ally of the Hidden Mist

As Ibiki and Shikaku walked back to the Mizukage Tower, they spotted little Sakura above the heads of everyone in the crowd. It was truly a strange sight. Was she sitting on someone's shoulders? The two stood there for a while and watched. Sakura _was_ sitting on someone's shoulders. One Kisame Hoshigaki, the Monster of the Mist, to be exact. The two special jounin of Konoha could not hide their shock as their jaws unhinged and their eyes widened. Shikaku let out a low whistle.

"I can't believe it. Ten years old and she's friends with one of the most dangerous people in the five nations."

And the person Ibiki desperately wanted a rematch with.

They reluctantly continued their walk. Shikaku was still very, what's the word,_ impressed_, with what Sakura was capable of. She was just full of surprises that were amazing and unheard of. He cast the girl one last glance before entering the tower. Mei was already at her desk, reading over some papers with a cup of Jasmine tea in her hands. She smiled at the two men that entered the room.

"Hello again. I trust that you two have enjoyed your break?"

The two exchanged glances before taking a seat.

"It was certainly interesting, Mizukage-sama." said Shikaku, "But I do have a question for you. Do you know someone named Sakura Haruno?"

A grin instantly blossomed on the woman's face.

"The sweetheart with the pink hair? Of course I do. She's come to the village twice a year for about three years now."

Ibiki and Shikaku were shocked to the core. Again. And it hadn't even been ten minutes.

_'I have to remember to put a leash on that brat.'_ Ibiki grumbled inwardly.

* * *

It was 11:38 pm.

The treaty was finally complete after endless hours of working out the kinks and details. The two Konoha nin trudged into the chilly night. There were considerably less people on the streets except for the normal clubbers and bar hoppers. But there was one figure in the distance making their way towards them. They waited for a while until the stranger stepped into the light.

Kisame Hoshigaki. With a sleeping Sakura on his back. He gently nudged Sakura awake and set her down on the ground. She rubbed her eyes and brandished a wide yawn.

"You're going now, Kisame-san?"

"Yeah kid, it's late. It's best you get back with your team."

She nodded groggily, hugged the man tightly, and stumbled over to her sensei. Sakura waved at the large blue man one last time before slipping into a near slumber- still standing up. Ibiki caught her before she could fall over, and when hoisted her up and looked ahead of him, he caught Kisame's soft gaze on the small girl.

"I'm surprised that someone like you has a relationship with someone like her." Shikaku commented, breaking the silence. Kisame shrugged nonchalantly and crossed his arms.

"I wasn't expecting it either. Imagine my shock when I'm resting after a battle, one with you no less," he said, sending a pointed look the interrogator's way, "And when I wake up, I see my wounds cleaned, bandaged, and a tiny little five year old grinning at me from the side."

Ibiki's eyes widened.

"You mean to tell me that five years ago-?!"

"She came looking for me after you passed out. After she found me, she tagged along on an assassination, then went back to that village you two were stationed at."

Shikaku vaguely remembered that mission to the Mist. Ibiki was hospitalized for two days once he came back from that mission.

"Then that katana and scroll she brought back was from you, wasn't it?" Ibiki accused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kisame smirked, "And it's best I go now. Next time, Morino, I want a real fight."

"We'll get a real fight when we get to it. Just don't run away with your tail between your legs next time."

"I didn't run away, I_ hastily retreated._"

"It's the same as running away!"

Even with her face buried in her sensei's neck, Sakura smiled.


	34. Poison

Sakura was sorting through her father's books when she came across one titled _**Virus et Remedium**_. She flipped through it curiously and discovered a goldmine. There were over thousands of pages packed with poisons and antidotes. They had the how-to's, the best way to administer them, and the places you could find the ingredients.

"Thank you for being so interested in medicine, Kizashi..." she murmured. Sakura flipped back all the way to the very beginning to where the simplest concoctions were shown. The first one she read over was some sort of medicine that could slow down your pulse to make it seem non-existent. It kind of resembled the Cantarella poison Friar Lawrence created in the fantasy romantic tragedy Sakura read a while back called _Romeo and Juliet_.

She stood up with a wide yawn and stepped out of her house, her book tucked safely under her arm. The nearest herbal store was about twenty minutes away, unfortunately, but it was well worth the walk. It became even more enjoyable when she met Itachi about halfway there.

"Good morning, Itachi-san! Did you just return from your mission?"

He nodded once and fell in step beside her.

"I returned an hour ago. I know that there are no classes today, but where exactly are you going?" he asked.

"An medicinal store. I need some herbs for a poison I'm creating, and if I don't find it there, I might need to go out of the village to get some."

Itachi was curious. Without a doubt, Sakura was incredibly strong and intelligent as a shinobi and a person. If you added the sudden interest in poison and medicine, maybe even medical techniques in the near future, she could truly be someone unstoppable. Someone like... someone like...

_Tsunade Senju._

He winced at the thought of it. Sakura and the Sannin had an uncanny resemblance in their skills, interests, and way of thinking. It pained him slightly to think that Sakura would one day become a missing-nin like Tsunade, but he didn't think it would ever happen. Sakura Haruno as a rogue shinobi? The idea was absurd.

He would never let Sakura become a rogue.

He could never lose her.

The sixteen year old made a promise to himself as he watched the girl pick out various herbs from the impressive inventory of the medicinal store. If the day ever came that Sakura had the _slightest thought_ of leaving the village, he would use every ounce of his power to make her stay. Itachi only hoped that the day would never come.

Unfortunately for Itachi, that day had already passed.


	35. The Genin Called Bushybrows

She heard that there was a weird genin who always wore a green jumpsuit with orange legwarmers. But even though he was strange, his talent in taijutsu was uncomparable. His work ethic was high, and his determination was shining. Rock Lee was just the person she needed to help her out with her problem. Sakura walked to a training ground opposite of where she usually went. There was a single person training this dark, early morning, and coincidently, it was just the person she was looking for.

"Excuse me... are you Rock Lee?"

The boy ceased his high kicks and rabbit punches the spun around to flash the stranger a wide grin.

"Yes I am! To what do I owe you this visit oh beautiful pink-haired lotus blossom?" he exclaimed. The eleven year old twitched before taking a few steps forward.

"My name is Sakura Haruno, and I've heard about your skill. If it isn't too much of a bother, do you think you could help me with my taijutsu?"

Lee stared at her for a few moments before his eyes lit up. He fell to his knees and clasped her hands as streams of tears poured down his face.

"Such... Such youthfulness! I would be HONORED to help a beauty such as yourself! Let us go, Sakura-san! I will teach you all that I can!"

* * *

Training with Rock Lee was tiring, yet was an oddly satisfying experience. Despite being a spandex-clad weirdo, he was actually a very nice, polite guy. He could be eccentric at times, but it was well worth it. Sakura trained with him on tuesdays and thursdays, and under his tutelage, she could see her taijutsu skills improving rapidly.

Another thing she noticed was that Lee was a person you could easily get along with. It was safe to say that he was becoming a good friend of hers and could become a very reliable ally in the future.

One day after training, Sakura sought refuge on Hokage Mountain. The sky was a beautiful hue of deep blue with spots of white bursting from the seams. She wondered- did the sky look the same from everywhere in the world? A smile crossed her face. She would find that out soon. Very soon. Her sensei already knew about her plans. He tried to talk her out of it, but nothing he said could change her mind. Ibiki accepted it eventually.

Sakura sighed.

Three hundred eighty-two days.

All she had to do was wait.

She shook her head and shunshinned back into her empty home and walked towards the coffee table. A few envelopes were scattered on the glass top- today's mail. She hadn't really gotten around to it earlier due to Lee's training. Most of them were things like electrical and water bills, but one was addressed to her all the way from Kirigakure.

Sakura whipped out a kunai and cut the side. A letter and a photograph of a newborn baby girl fell out. She unfolded the letter and read the familiar messy handwriting.

_Sakura,_

_Well, what do I have to say... Suiren just gave birth to a baby girl! Her name's Kana and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And knowing you, let me make this clear. One, she's not blue, Two, yes, she __**is**__ mine. I hope that you can come visit sometime soon so Kana can meet her 'nee-san'. _

_See you soon, brat,_

_Kisame_

Sakura grinned. It looks like she'd have to miss school next week.


	36. Toads and Weasels

"PERVERT!"

The women in the bath house shrieked and cleared out with a new record of 3.8 seconds. Jiraiya let out an irritated grumble as he turned around and pinned a hard glare at the shorty that made him loose his research. She merely looked up at him with a smug grin.

"Is there something wrong, Jiraiya-san?" she questioned sweetly.

"YOU MADE MY RESEARCH DISAPPEAR! AGAIN!"

Sakura laughed.

"Well, since you couldn't stop an eleven year old from chasing away your so-called 'research', you owe me some mochi."

Jiraiya stared at her incredulously. That connection made absolutely no sense.

"Brat."

"Pervy grandpa."

* * *

He wasn't sure how she did it, but she did. The little punk named Sakura Haruno had manipulated him into buying her mochi. Jiraiya looked at her curiously as she took a large bite of the sweet treat. Could this really be the girl that murdered Danzo Shimura in cold blood?

"So Jiraiya-san, what's up?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Normally you're not in the village." she elaborated, "I've heard that you usually do recon type stuff, and when you come back to the village, you have information worth telling in person. Do you mind sharing?"

Her eyes were calculating, but blank. Her emotions did not show through her eyes, yet one thing you could see was that she _knew_ something. Jiraiya leaned forward and rested his head on his open palm.

"The details are classified, but let me sum it up for you. There's a small group of S-ranks consisting of twelve former Konoha shinobi. Everyone being sent to gather information had not returned; even_ I_ couldn't get close enough. We need someone to infiltrate, we just can't find anyone for the job."

A smile crawled onto Sakura's face as she stood up from her seat.

"Meet me back here on Friday at 12:00 pm, Jiraiya-san."

She walked out of the shop, leaving a confused sannin behind. Her first destination was the Academy. She left a note in her sensei's mailbox saying that she would be absent the entirety of next week. After that, she went home, tossed a few things in her backpack, and walked out the gates of Konoha.

She wasn't seen for six days.

On Friday, Sakura had returned to Konoha. She was sitting at that same table in the mochi shop. About a minute later, Jiraiya walked in and sat across from her.

"Alright, what's this about?" he asked. She took out a thick manila folder and handed it over. Jiraiya stared before grasping the folder reluctantly and flipping through it. There were about twenty pages with descriptions of all twelve of the former Konoha shinobi, their techniques and weaknesses, and the list of possible places their bases could be. His eyes hardened at the information.

"How did you obtain this information?" he questioned quietly. Sakura was eleven years old, A child. There was no way she was able to get this information alone. She grinned.

"Please don't misunderstand, Jiraiya-san. I wasn't the one who dove right into enemy's headquarters although I was very close to doing so."

"Then who did?"

Sakura winked.

"You have your secrets, and I have mine."

* * *

Sakura practically skipped out of the mochi shop and crashed right into a waiting Itachi. Her cheeks puffed out as she raised her eyes to meet his pitch black ones.

"You can't just stand in the middle of the road like this, Itachi-san."

"If you had your eyes open and directed in front of you, I guarantee you would have seen me and not have walked forward."

She stuck her tongue out and stuck beside him as they walked into the village. Jiraiya, who was still seated in the mochi shop, stared at the two retreating backs with a raised eyebrow. Itachi Uchiha and Sakura? What an odd pair.

And an odd pair it truly was. Those who knew both of them knew that they spent much of their free time with each other, strange as it was. That saying must be true then, 'birds of a feather flock together'.

Jiraiya stood up from his seat, eyes still trained on the folder in his hands. Sakura was going to graduate the academy in four months. By then, he was sure Minato would assign someone strong enough to keep an eye on her. After all, you'd be a foolish man to not take caution for a pre-teen that had already had the impression of ANBU status.

"She'll probably get Kakashi..." he mumbled to himself. He tossed some money on the table and walked out. Him and Minato had some things to... discuss.


	37. The Bell Test

Today was graduation day for a bunch of twelve year old Academy students. Among that group of students was Sakura Haruno, a seemingly regular student that hid every ounce of her prodigial talent. Her genin team consisted of Naruto Namikaze, the boy she had been friends with since she was seven years old, and Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto's eternal rival and Sakura's other good friend. She wasn't the least bit surprised that she was slotted with these two, not that she was complaining.

Minato wanted to put his son on a team he could trust, and the Uchihas wouldn't settle for teammates that weren't of potential. Sakura let out a small sigh,closed her eyes, and leaned back into her chair. They were currently waiting for Kakashi Hatake, their new sensei. She knew all about him including that sharingan eye of his, courtesy of her other sensei. She also learned that this so-called 'copy-cat' nin read Jiraiya-san's books.

So... Kakashi Hatake was a lazy pervert. Great.

"Naruto, you shouldn't be doing that, you'll get in trouble." said Sakura, her eyes still closed. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her and climbed the stool he positioned, chalkboard eraser in hand.

"He's late, Sakura-chan! I can't leave him unpunished, dattebayo!"

"He won't fall for it, dobe."

"Shaddup teme! Who the hell was talkin' to you?!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed. Their sensei was an elite shinobi- he wouldn't fall for a stupid trick like this one. On cue, a head popped in the doorway and the eraser fell, hitting the stranger square on his spiky silver hair. The man bent down and picked up the object and stared at it for a few moments.

"Hm... how should I put this..." he mused. He thought for a few seconds. "You're a bunch of idiots. Follow me up onto the roof. We can continue our discussion there."

* * *

"Alright, before we continue on, why don't we start with introductions? Say things that you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies- stuff like that." the man said. Naruto scratched his head and looked at the Jounin thoughtfully.

"Well... why don't you go first?" Naruto suggested, "I mean, so you can show us how it's done."

The man pointed to himself.

"Me? Well, okay. My name's Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't really feel like telling you those things. My dreams for the future... never thought about that before. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."

Sakura hid her smile. Kakashi was exactly as Ibiki described to her and was certainly an interesting character.

"Now it's your turn." said Kakashi, "You on the right. You go first."

"I'm Naruto Namikaze, dattebayo! I like instant ramen, Ichiraku ramen, and Sakura-chan because she's my best friend. I kinda hate Sasuke-teme because he's my rival. My hobbies are eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them and playing pranks, and my dream is becoming the Hokage just like my tou-san!"

Kakashi nodded. A good egg and the son of his former sensei. He then pointed to the middle, the boy in the navy blue shirt.

"You next."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like onigiri, and I hate sweet things. My hobbies are training and talking walks, and my dream is to master the sharingan and beat my nii-san in a battle."

Another good egg with realistic ideals and an understanding dream, but seemed a little anti-social. His eyes turned towards the sole female of the group who wore a small smile on her face.

"Now you."

"My name's Sakura Haruno. I like reading and learning new things. I hate spicy food. My hobbies are playing trivia games, and as for my dream..." her eyes flashed dangerously before being recovered with a cheery gaze, "...I feel no need to share it."

Kakashi saw that glint in her eyes but pretended not to notice it. He clapped his hands together once before looking down at them.

"You're all very interesting in your own ways. We'll have a survival exercise tomorrow. I don't want to hear any questions now, but be at training ground seven tomorrow at 7:00 am and don't eat any breakfast, or you'll throw up."

* * *

Sakura was laying in her bed, soaking wet, and staring upwards intently. It was nine thirty in the morning and she should already be at the training grounds. But as Ibiki had warned her before, when Kakashi took on his genin teams, he would normally be four hours late on their first meeting, so she still had time. She was going to get up and get ready to leave, but _someone_ decided to pop up and throw a bucket of ice-cold water on her.

"I hate you, Zetsu-san."

"You deserve it because_** your jutsu destroyed my petunias**_."

"Grow up, sissy."

"_**Those petunias**__**deserved**_ a better fate!"

She stuck her tongue out and wrung the water out of her short hair. Zetsu came out of her wall and took a seat at her desk.

"Are you going to watch our training?" she asked as she went into the bathroom to change. Zetsu gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Why not? Noboru-sama put me on leave for a week and I have nothing better to do. Also, your teammates _**are an Uchiha and the Hokage's son**_, and your new sensei is the renowned Sharingan Kakashi. _**They're interesting people, and you know how much I love to observe interesting people.**_" he said. Sakura came out in her gear and headed downstairs, Zetsu following closesly behind.

"As long as you're not seen and you don't eat anyone, I'm all for it. Now c'mon, I'm already three hours late."

* * *

"SAKURA-CHAN! YOU'RE LATE, DATTEBAYO!"

"Hn. For once, the dobe's right. Where were you?"

Sakura sighed.

"Does it matter? Sensei's not here yet, so technically, I'm not late."

At that moment, Kakashi walked up to them with a smile on his face and his hand raised in a friendly wave. Before he could greet them, Sakura pointed at him.

"See that you two? You could only qualify me as late if I had come ten seconds later."

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. Kakashi watched the interaction curiously as he put his bag down and set an alarm clock on a nearby stump. Judging by the bickering, Sakura arrived merely seconds before he had. It also seemed to be done on purpose like she knew he was going to be late. He shrugged the feeling off and cleared his throat to gather their attention.

"Alright, alright, settle down. Now for the test. I have two bells with me, and your objective is to take the two bells from me. Like you see here, there are_ two_ bells. That means one of you won't get one, and that one person will get tied to this stump. This clock is set to noon. Begin."

Sakura and Sasuke immediately went for cover. Sakura was beginning to form a plan, something plain and simple that she could get away with without suspicion. Or maybe she could mess with him a bit. She created a shadow clone and sent the clone to the river. Sakura then waited about an hour to make sure this plan went undetected by her teammates. When Sasuke was neck deep in the ground and Naruto was hanging upside down from a tree, she shunshinned near the river with two black pebbles in her hand.

Kakashi walked onto the river surface looking around suspiciously.

_'Where in the world was Sakura?'_

Unknown to him, her bunshin was swimming a few meters underneath his feet. The real Sakura smirked.

"Bunshin Bakuha." she whispered. Her clone exploded underwater, catching Kakashi in the blast. Sakura took the chance and leapt in.

Once the water settled, Kakashi looked around him. No one was there. He looked down and spotted the bells still in the same place they were before. That explosion certainly was not natural at any circumstance. Just what had happened...?

Suddenly, a high-pitched noise rang out through the air. It was finally noon.

Long story short, Naruto was tied to the stump, Sasuke and Sakura fed him even though Kakashi clearly told them not to, and they passed. As the newly formed Team Seven walked away to celebrate at Ichiraku's.

Kakashi watched them go and noticed something glinting at Sakura's hip. There were two silver bells with red strings attached. His eye widened as he grabbed the bells at his hip and stared at them. They suddenly went up in smoke only to reveal two black pebbles. Substitution.

Sakura must've switched the bells and the pebbles during the water explosion. Is she was capable of doing that...

_'Could she be...?'_

A pair of yellow eyes laughed at him silently from a distance.


	38. Ibiki's Student

"Sasuke, Naruto, why don't you two spar over there?" Kakashi suggested. It was the day after the bell test and it was the first day of official practice. Naruto and Sasuke complied easily and went to the far north end of the training grounds. Kakashi then turned to Sakura with what she guessed was a wide smile on his face.

"That leaves you with me, Sakura. Are you up for a spar?" he asked cheerfully. She nodded, a suspicious feeling nudging her at the back of her head. He probably already had an idea of what she was capable and wanted to test it. Perfect. Sakura stood at the other end of the field and slid into a taijutsu stance familiar to Kakashi's knowledge.

_'Gai's stance...? No, it's his student's. Rock Lee's.'_

His interest was peaked.

"Go."

He didn't anticipate Sakura to bolt straight forward with her hands meshed in the Tiger seal. Before he knew it, she was up in the air and spiraling down with incredible speed.

"Suiton: Mizu Kamikiri!"

Her foot slammed into the earth, causing water to burst from the ground and travel towards her sensei as a slicing jet. Kakashi's eyes widened and jumped to the right. A B-rank technique? From her? Right when he landed on the branch of a near by tree, and exploding tag was triggered, sending him to the left. He landed right where he was from the beginning with Sakura standing a few feet away from him with a small smile on her face.

Kakashi knew that this was going to turn into something serious, so he did what he had to do. He lifted his headband. Sakura cocked her head to the side.

"You're only at the third stage?" she questioned, "I expected you to be at Mangekyou by now. I mean, I know what you have to do to get the Mangekyou, but I imagine you would have found a way around that sort of thing."

Time seemed to freeze. Kakashi stared at the genin with widened eyes. He slowly slid out of his stance and re-covered his sharingan eye.

"With that knowledge, I now know for sure that you aren't just some genin fresh from the Academy. Ibiki's student, right?"

"Hai, sensei."

_It was a smart move to put such an advanced shinobi on the team_, Kakashi thought. He had caught wind of her abilities a while back but didn't know her name or a face to match the profile. Now he had both.

"How many missions have you been on already?"

"Fifty-five."

"Do Sasuke and Naruto know of your true status?"

"Nope. Only a handful of people know, and I'd like to keep it that way if you don't mind."

Kakashi nodded and began walking, motioning for Sakura to follow. She sent a confused expression his way before trotting after him curiously. They walked in silence for a while before they arrived to the Third Training Ground. It was a rather large training ground covered with dense patches of trees. There was also one large clearing with the Konoha Memorial Stone standing proudly at the eastern edge. They walked towards it and stopped just feet from its gleaming form.

Complete silence invaded the area for a few minutes.

"Do you see those names on the bottom there? Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara?"

Sakura crouched down and peered at it.

"What about their names, sensei?" she asked. She looked up at him to see his lone eye darken in sadness.

"Back when I was younger... those two were my teammates. We got along fine and we were one of the best teams. But there was one mission that changed all of that. We went on a mission to Iwagakure and Rin was captured. Obito and I went in to save her, but when we arrived, she was killed. Next they came after Obito and I. We fought as hard as we could but our efforts were worthless._ Mine_, at least. Obito was crushed underneath a boulder seconds later. Both my teammates were dead and it was my fault that I couldn't protect them."

With dread marring him, he looked so old and weary even if his face was covered. Kakashi turned towards the younger girl.

"Sakura, the rumors that surround you say that you're incredibly strong, and I believe all of it- but I want you to keep something in mind."

He grasped her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

"No matter how strong you are,_ you cannot save everyone_."

* * *

Sakura went home that day with Kakashi's words ringing in her head. She dropped her things on the living room couch and walked to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror, then to bottle of pills on the sink.

No matter how strong you are, you cannot save everyone.

A hollow smile touched her lips.

_'And maybe one day, I won't be able to save myself.'_


	39. It's Here!: The Chuunin Exams: Part 1

Unsurprisingly, all three genin of Kakashi's squad were nominated to participate in the Chuunin exams. This year, they were going to be an outstanding number of participants, if Sakura wasn't mistaken. Also, another jinchuuriki would be entering the exams- the container of the one tailed beast Shukaku, Gaara no Sabaku.

"I bet you're excited, eh?"

Sakura looked to her left.

"I'm not sure, Tenzou-san. I read about the Chuunin Exams. They don't look too hard to me."

Tenzou sighed and tousled the girl's hair affectionately. The two were walking towards the Academy where the first portion of the exam would take place. Tenzou was one of the ANBU assigned to guard the area, so he decided to walk his favorite little genin the majority of the way there. He wasn't at all worried at her passing these exams with flying colors, considering what she was capable of, but he was certainly interested in what certain abilities she would allow to be seen.

But it wouldn't matter for the first part at least. The proctor for the written examination was her sensei after all. About three fourths of the way there, Tenzou slid on his mask.

"This is where we part ways. I'll see you after the second exam, Sakura-chan." he said.

"See you, Tenzou-san."

He gave her one last pat on the head before melting into the shadows. Sakura arrived at the Academy a few minutes later where Sasuke and Naruto were waiting for her at the entrance.

"Mornin'."

"You're late, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, "What's your excuse this time?!"

"I was actually talking to an old friend of mine. He walked me most of the way here before going off to work." she replied. She nudged both of the boys through the doors and up to the third floor of the building. They entered the room where all of the genin where gathered and immediately made way to the rest of the rookies. Before Sakura could get a word out, her name was shouted at from across the room.

"SAKURA-SAN, OH YOUTHFUL LOTUS BLOSSOM! IS THAT YOU?!"

Sakura's eye twitched as the _oh-so youthful_ Rock Lee bounded up to her with his shining presence. Naruto and Sasuke openly gaped at this... this... excessively green being that sprinted all the way from across the room. Naruto turned to his best friend in shock.

"S-Sakura-chan... you kn-know this guy?" he stammered.

"Yeah, he's my friend and I train with him sometimes."

Lee grinned at him, causing the orange-clad genin to squint from the brightness of this weirdo's smile.

"Oh how incredibly rude of me for not introducing myself! My name is Rock Lee, the Wild Green Beast of Konoha!" he exclaimed. It wasn't long before he waved amiably and returned to the rest of his team. Sasuke turned to his pink-haired friend with a scowl.

"Where did you find that guy?"

"I needed help with taijutsu and he was there. Not much to say about it." she sighed.

Suddenly, a puff of smoke erupted from the front of the room.

"Alright you baby-faced degenerates! Pipe down and listen the hell up!" a voice shouted. The smoke cleared, and there stood the first proctor and all the sentinels. "It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and from this moment, your worst enemy."

Sakura grinned.

All of them were given a seat number and spread out across the examination room. The sentinels were lined up at every available space to the sides which meant that their eyes were on everything. The rules of the exam were plain and simple. The genin were given nine questions that they had to answer in one hour. Every time you are caught cheating, two points are deducted from the score. Once you hit zero, you and and your team are out of the exams. That's it. You're cut.

After Ibiki had finished explaining the rules and let them begin, Sakura took the time to read over each and every question. They were integrated problems based on principles of uncertainty and required complex mechanics of energy analysis. To put it simply, these questions were so incredibly advanced that about 90% of the genin in the room wouldn't be able to solve it on their own.

Cheating.

Bingo.

But Sakura didn't need to cheat even if it was the whole purpose of this written exam. She had spent time and time again in the library and with ANBU- she was bound to pick up a few things from those experiences, so she was able to answer every single question with little difficulty. And knowing her sensei, he was probably going to do something to make all this effort not count at the end. Like that time he made her walk on her hands the whole day saying that it would 'build up her arm strength' only for him to admit at the end of the day that he only made her do it because he thought it was funny. Sakura glowered at the memory.

Bastard.

She spent the rest of the exam staring at the clock and waiting for the exam to end. When if finally did, a third of the participants were kicked out and everyone else was left with the final question.

"Now with a nice number of you cut, it's time for the tenth and final question. But before I ask it, let me tell you this. If any of you, _any of you_, get it wrong, your and your team will be ejected and you will never be able to take the Chuunin Exams ever again." he warned, "Hearing that fact, anyone want to leave?"

All was completely silent and the air was filled with thick tension, yet no one raised their hands. Sakura, though, scribbled something on her paper before leaning back into her chair with a smug smirk.

_'I think we'll have a good batch this year. They're all committed. And that brat is up to something again.'_ Ibiki thought. After about a minute of waiting, he spoke up again.

"No one? Really? Good. Then you all pass."

Surprised murmurs encircled the room.

"The last question was to test your will. To see how far you would go and to see if you would put yourself on the line to advance forward." he explained, "Since all of you had the guts, all of you passed."

Something burst through the window and landed at the front of the room. A banner then went up, shielding Ibiki from view. He let out an irritated grumble. Jumped the gun once again.

"Heads up boys and girls! This is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi. You ready for the second test? Good! Let's go! Follow me!" the intruder shouted.

"You're early." Ibiki said. "Again."

"Shut up! And what's with these guys, there's so many of them! Your test was too easy. You're growing soft, aren't cha?"

"I'm not, they're just stronger this time around."

"Well they certainly don't look it. But it won't be a problem when I'm done with them. I'll have over half of them cut, no sweat." she grinned, "Now as for all you maggots, we'll get started with the second part of the test first thing tomorrow morning. I'll let all your squad leaders know where you're to meet up. That'll be all. Dismissed!"

Once everyone had cleared out of the test room, Ibiki began to pick up the test sheets. He skimmed the first one and noticed something peculiar written at the bottom right hand corner.

_**Raise your hand for the tenth question and I'll slit your throat.**_

Every single test paper had the exact same thing written in the exact same place with the exact same style. He recognized it as Sakura's handwriting.

That goddamn brat had scared everyone into passing.

"Atta' girl!" Ibiki laughed.


	40. Suspicion: The Chuunin Exams- Part 2

The following morning, all the genin were waiting in front of Training Ground 44- The Forest of Death. Anko had handed out consent forms that stated that if any of them were to die during this portion of the test, it wouldn't be her responsibility. This test, much like the first one, had simple directions. Each team was given either an earth scroll or a heaven scroll. Once they were let into the field, they had to take the counterpart of their scroll. Not knowing which team had which scroll, luck played a huge part in finding what you needed.

After Anko finished explaining everything, she set a thirty minute period for all the genin to sign their forms and collect their scroll. Sakura walked up to Anko with all of her team's consent forms.

"Here you go, Anko-san." she said.

"Thanks kiddo." grinned Anko, "Also, Ibiki told me that stunt you pulled yesterday. Smooth moves, short stuff! He was actually pretty proud."

"Yeah, but he made me run a hundred laps around Konoha right after."

* * *

Shikamaru watched Sakura converse with Anko from afar. He had been suspicious of her ever since the end of the first exam. He saw that note at the bottom corner of his exam paper and vaguely recognized it at her's. They worked at partners a few times in the Academy so he was bound to identify it. While working beside her, he noticed that she breezed through them rather easily. She also rarely paid any attention to lessons, yet managed to get the top scores in class.

Shikamaru remembered asking his father about her after the first exam.

_"Hey tou-san, I'm curious."_

_"What is it, Shikamaru?"_

_"Do you happen to know anyone named Sakura Haruno?"_

_Shikaku paused from doing his paperwork for a few moments before a smirk fell onto his face as he continued writing._

_"I can't say much about her. Keep your eyes peeled though, Shikamaru. She's not someone to take lightly."_

Shikamaru walked across the field to a guy with round glasses and his silver hair tied up into a pony-tail. The man greeted the Nara with a smile.

"What's up?"

"You're the genin with the information cards right? Kabuto Yakushi?"

Kabuto nodded and pulled out his trusty deck.

"Who do you need info on?"

"Sakura Haruno. Please." said Shikamaru. A surprised look crossed over Kabuto's face as he pushed his glasses up.

"Sakura Haruno?" Kabuto mused, "She's one of the rookies competing, no? Why do you need information on her?"

Shikamaru looked over his shoulder. Ino and Chouji were occupied, and none of the other rookies had noticed his disappearance. He turned his head back towards Kabuto.

"Curiosity, if you will. I just have a nagging feeling at the back of my head. Could I see her card?"

Kabuto nodded and puleed out a card from his deck. He spun it around a few times with his finger before the card released smoke and revealed Sakura's information. D-rank: 12. C-Rank: 5. Stat Total: 18. Nothing special. Shikamaru scratched the back of his head and sighed. He must've been paranoid over nothing. Kabuto, though, had narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Wait." Kabuto said. He flipped through the deck once more and took out a second card. He performed the same jutsu revealing... another Sakura Haruno card? The two read the information with wide eyes.

D-Rank: 12. _C-Rank: 16. B-Rank: 19. A-Rank: 18. S-Rank: 5. Stat Total: 31._

"Im... Impossible... And she's only a genin?!"

Kabuto took out Sasuke's and Naruto's cards. Those two had 12 D-ranks and 5 C-Ranks. There were no traces of the extra C-Ranks, B, A, or S-Ranks. Sasuke's stat total was 18.5, and Naruto's stat total was 16.5. Sakura Haruno might be on their team, but she was completely out of their league. Shikamaru scratched his head and sighed.

"What a drag." he mumbled, "Thanks for showing me the cards, Yakushi-san."

Kabuto nodded, his attention still focused on the cards before him.

* * *

"Do we have a plan?" Sasuke asked as all of Team 7 stood in front of their designated gate. Naruto, as always, was clueless and shook his head.

"We do." Sakura assured, "Find a team as quickly as possible. If they don't have the scroll we need, we disappear without a trace and scout for the next one. After we find what we need we head straight for the tower. Plain and simple."

Ibiki had made her train at these grounds on numerous accounts so she had already memorized the layout of the area. With Anko's call, the gates were opened and nearly all the teams bolted in, Team 7 included.

* * *

"Well Gaara, do we have a plan?" Kankuro asked as him and his siblings walked through the dense shrubbery of the training grounds. Gaara was silent for a while before he finally spoke up with his usual monotone.

"All we need to do is find an earth scroll to our heaven scroll."

"Let me guess, we're not going to kill anyone." Temari inputed.

"We are not killing."

Gaara was a pacifist. He disliked violence and tried to avoid killing or fatally a person at all costs. Regardless of having the Ichibi encased inside him, he was able to quell any bloodthirsty urges Shukaku had in store. The source of Gaara's secret kind-heartedness was definitely from their mother- Karura. She was her husband's, the Kazekage's, assistant and an incredibly doting mother to her three children.

The siblings continued on their way and eventually came upon a team from Amegakure. They stood no chance against the team from Suna and were quickly knocked unconscious. No bloodshed was necessary. Coincidently, the opponent had the scroll they needed and they headed straight for the tower at the center of the grounds.

They made it to their destination at an hour and forty-seven minutes.

And they were the _second_ team to arrive.


	41. The Preliminaries! Chunnin Exams- Part 3

"There are so many of them..." Minato murmured. There were twenty-four genin all lined up before him all battered and bruised in some way, save for a few select individuals. The siblings from Sand were unharmed probably because of the Jinchuriki that could hold his own against his bijuu. Minato's eyes then skimmed over to Team 7. Naruto and Sasuke had their fair share of cuts and scrapes, but Sakura was unscathed. As predicted.

As Minato began his speech, two people began to survey the genin from behind the upstairs railing.

"Well." Jiraiya whistled, crossing his arms across his chest, "There's a hell of a lot of genin this year. This is double what we were expecting."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement before narrowing his eyes to take a closer look at the batch.

"It seems so. I can already tell who's going to advance. The Uchiha boy looks promising, and so does that Jinchuriki from Suna. That girl from Suna looks particularly strong as well. And the Hyuuga boy." said the snake sannin. His golden eyes skimmed through the rows. Minato's son was sure to pass due to his insane stamina that could get him through fights even if he wasn't the brightest, and maybe Shikaku's son as well. He had the brains to get through any siutation.

"You're forgetting one, Orochimaru."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

Jiraiya pointed towards the girl in the second to last row.

"Her name is Sakura Haruno. She's already a full-fledged shinobi as far as I'm concerned. The brat's been trained by Ibiki Morino himself."

Orochimaru looked the girl over with a calculating eye. She certainly didn't look like much at first glance, but the longer he stared, the more he noticed the tiny little details. She was standing on guard with a rigid form that just seemed natural to her and had not sustained any injuries. Her chakra levels were probably at 80% unlike everyone else who had theirs at 15%, maybe 20%.

"A prodigy?" he mused. Jiraiya nodded and watched as the matches began.

* * *

"I hope Sasuke-kun and his team are doing well in the exams." Mikoto sighed as she poured herself and Fugaku a cup of tea, "I don't doubt his ability, but I've heard that there are some tough competitors this year."

"They'll be fine. They'll make it to chuunin, I guarantee it."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

"Good job, Sakura." Kakashi smiled, "I expected nothing less from you."

Sakura leaned against the wall in the arena, taking deep breaths. Her match had just ended with her emerging as the victor. The fight was unexpectedly lengthy and difficult, he opponent being Kabuto Yakushi. After five minutes of fighting him, it was obvious that he wasn't just some genin. He was to skilled in his movements and knew medical ninjutsu. She eventually got him by knocking him unconscious with a kick to the head.

"I'm going to the restroom..." Sakura muttered, pushing herself off of the wall. Kakashi patted her on the back and watched her walk away. Once she was in the empty restroom, she started to cough over the sink. Blood spewed from her mouth. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked up at the mirror.

"This is the girl's restroom, you know."

"Kabuto didn't give you any injuries that would cause you to cough so much blood. In fact, you're not supposed to be coughing blood at all."

Orochimaru was leaning against the frame of the door, his eyes glimmering with curiosity. Sakura was quiet for a while before finally sighing and straightening up.

"Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage."

His eyebrows furrowed. Before he could ask her just how she obtained such a rare disorder, she beat him to it.

"It was jutsu-induced." she whispered. Sakura washed the blood off her hands and mouth and walked passed him and out the door, throwing him a smile as she did so. Orochimaru stood there for a few seconds before following after.

By the time they got back, all the matches had been finished and the finalists had been paired up and posted on the wall.

_Neji Hyuuga vs Naruto Namikaze_

_Shino Aburame vs Kankuro Sabaku_

_Temari Sabaku vs Dosu Kinuta_

_Sakura Haruno vs Shikamaru Nara_

_Sasuke Uchiha vs Gaara Sabaku_

Sakura smiled to herself.


	42. Finally: The Chuunin Exams: Part 4

_N__aruto Namikaze vs Neji Hyuuga. Winner: Naruto._

_Shino Aburame vs Kankurou Sabaku. Winner: Shino._

_Temari Sabaku vs Dosu Kinuta. Now fighting._

_Sakura Haruno vs Shikamaru Nara. Thirty minutes until fight._

_Sasuke Uchiha vs Gaara Sabaku. To be announced._

Up where the special guests were seated, the Fourth Kazekage watched the fight with interest. His daughter was doing exceptionally well against this sound ninja. His wife, Karura, was standing next to him, sending bouts of encouragement to her eldest child. The Kage of Sound was there as well, quiet and watching with a small, happy smile on his face. The last of the Kages, Minato, sat the farthest to the right, him and his wife watching the fight with enjoyment.

Behind them sat the Daimyou of Fire Country and the Daimyou of Wind Country. They had attended to be the council to help decide who in these fights had the aptitude to become chuunin. So far, the four who had already fought had the aptitude of becoming chuunin. The fights were good and the genin were exceptional. But Minato was curious.

The next fight surely would be a good show.

* * *

Shikamaru and Sakura sat in the waiting room of the arena. Neither had said a word, and neither were anxious about the upcoming fight. Shikamaru found it bothersome as usual and leaned against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. Sakura was reading the most recent Bingo Book. How interesting. Tsunade managed to go up about 60,000 ryo* since last year.

"You know, I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose against you."

Sakura looked up from her reading and cocked her head to the side.

"Why's that?"

He sighed and crossed his arms.

"My tou-san oh-so lovingly decided to give me advice on my fight. I told him that it was you, he told me I was screwed, so I'll take his word for it. Don't get me wrong, I'll fight against you. But if you're as troublesome as I think, I'll give up halfway." he said. Sakura sweatdropped and gave an awkward chuckle, but she didn't think he was lying. It was typical of him to do things like this.

The door on the east wall suddenly opened and Hayate Gekko stepped in. Shikamaru and Sakura exchanged glances and stood up from their seats. They were led out to the a large, open arena. They were positioned on opposite sides of the stadium with Hayate standing between them.

"Alright, the rules. You may do whatever you deem necessary to win, but I reserve the right to stop the fight at any given time. Any questions? No? Alright."

He took a few steps back.

"Begin!"

* * *

In the stands, Kisame leaned forward and paid attention to this oncoming fight. The Mizukage sent him to see how their allies were going with their chuunin exams only because the chuunin exams were being held in Kirigakure next year. He was genuinely excited for this portion of the exam because Sakura promised him that she'd make it in the finals. And here she was. Against a Nara.

The two were still at first, assessing what the other would do. Suddenly, Sakura bolted forward while making five other clones that attack him head on. They were easily taken care of with a barrage of kunai. In the midst of the smoke, Kisame saw something. There were three shadows in the smoke before it suddenly became just two.

Sakura and the kid engaged in close combat for a few minutes. The boy was smart- he knew what was coming for him and he acted accordingly and precisely. Before Kisame knew it, the boy meshed his hands into the rat symbol, extended his shadow, and trapped Sakura in his jutsu. A smirk crossed her face.

All of a sudden, a Sakura clone burst from the ground behind the boy.

"Bunshin Bakuha!"

An explosion rocketed the arena.

Kisame stared, his mouth agape. Sakura... Sakura made her own freakin' clone explode! It was utterly ridiculous but was still one of the best things he had ever seen. Once the dust settled, a crater was at the edge of the arena with the boy smack dab in the middle of it. He sat up shakily with Sakura peering at him from the edge.

"I give up." he said.

And that was that. Kisame clapped with the rest of the audience. The boy might have surrendered, but that was his best decision against someone like Sakura. He stood up from his seat and made his way out of the stadium. He met up with her in the infirmary.

"You weren't too shabby out there brat." he grinned. Sakura's eyes brightened at the sight of her good friend.

"Kisame-san!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here at the chuunin exams?"

"Well you know, Mizukage-sama sent me to see how smoothly everything went with the final stage of the exams. That and I just wanted to see my favorite brat kick some ass."

She chuckled.

"Hope I made for a good show then. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, they aren't doing that whole bracket tournament system this year. It's just these fights and its done." she supplied, "If you want to see the last fight you better hurry up and get out there."

"Then come on. We can watch the last fight and we'll get lunch after. My treat."

"Maa, how'd you know that I couldn't resist free food?"

* * *

The last fight was certainly the best and the longest. Sasuke and Gaara were on equal grounds with each other. Same power in abilities and same level of intelligence. It was exciting to watch, and after forty-five minutes of nothing but blood and brutal attacks, Sasuke pulled through at the end. Both were heavily injured and needed immediate medical attention. Everyone was content with the exams and Sakura got her free food in the end.

A week later, everyone who made it to the finals made it to chuunin.

And that week would be last time Sakura saw Konoha for a long, long time.

_*Ryo: the currency in the Naruto world._

_1 Ryo = 10 Yen = 0.10 US Dollars_


	43. She Left

It was six o'clock am when Sakura entered the Hokage's office. Minato looked up from his paperwork and smiled at his visitor.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan. What can I do for you today?" he asked.

"I request a leave of absence from my duties as a Konoha shinobi." she said. Minato took a minute to process her words before he sat up straight and stared at her incredulously.

"A leave of absence? Wouldn't that worry your teammates-"

He stopped himself and cursed inwardly. How could he forget? Naruto went off with Jiraiya and Sasuke went off with Orochimaru for training two days ago. He looked at the thirteen year old in front of him. She had no one to train her. To hold her back. Ibiki had taught her all that he knew, Kakashi was assigned on a two year long mission, and she had no relatives to persuade her otherwise.

"-I mean, your friends. Wouldn't they worry about you?"

Sakura shook her head.

"No. And if they did, it wouldn't matter to me." she replied softly, "I'm not trying to say I don't care but I have to get stronger- I need to. And as much as I've tried, I can't get stronger just by staying here. Do I have your permission, Hokage-sama?"

The Yondaime looked at her and spotted the seriousness and determination marred in her young face. There was also something else... something he couldn't place. Finally, Minato sighed and placed his chin on his laced fingers.

"Alright. But I'm only giving you five years. If you do not return five years from now on this date, you _will_ be marked down as a missing shinobi and you _will_ be hunted. Do you accept these terms?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Minato was hesitant as he pulled out her file and stamped it as 'inactive'. Sakura bowed, untied her hitai-ate, and placed it on his desk.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

She turned and left the office. The blonde stared after her and wondered. Did she really do it to get stronger, or did she do it to be free of her ties as she goes to kill the man who killed her parents?

* * *

"So he said yes. I'm surprised." Ibiki said as he watched his student pack her bags. "Then again, if he said no, you still would've left."

Sakura smiled up at him.

"I'm surprised too, but I'm glad. I feel that I'll learn more out there than I will here. No offense, sensei."

Ibiki chuckled and leaned against the door frame. For seven years, he had seen her grow. It would be... weird not to be with her at the training grounds nearly everyday, but he wanted her to grow even more. He really didn't support her decision, but he guessed that this was one of the things she had to do. He reached into his back pouch and pulled out a black katar.

"Sakura."

She turned around.

"Hai?"

Ibiki handed her the weapon with a soft smile.

"Take it with you; it was my first weapon. I'm sure that you'll find it useful."

Sakura slowly took the weapon and stared at it. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around the man's midsection and squeezed him tightly.

"I'm going to miss you, sensei." she mumbled into his shirt. Ibiki returned the hug and sighed.

"I'm gonna miss you too, kid."

* * *

"Come on, Itachi!" Shisui exclaimed, patting his baby cousin on the back, "We're all going to Ichiraku to celebrate the success of the mission! You in?"

Itachi shook his head and positioned his cat-resembling mask on his hip. Shisui sighed.

"Fine, suit yourself. But next time, there's no getting out!"

Shisui jogged away with the rest of the team and Itachi released a small sigh. He deactivated his sharingan and made way for the compound, but paused when he detected a small sliver of familiar chakra heading towards the gates. It was strange. She had never been on a solo mission as far as he knew. Was she getting one now? Itachi spun on his heel and quickly paced to where she was. He immediately spotted the head of pink hair.

She was standing at the gates with her backpack on and a katana strung diagonally across her back. Her waist long hair was tied up in it's usual ponytail and swayed silently with the cool, evening breeze. It was odd to see her so late at night. Usually, she'd be at the training grounds or in bed.

"Where are you going?" he questioned. Sakura stopped without looking back.

"I don't know." she said, "I haven't planned that far ahead."

"Planned? Are you not going out for a mission?"

"... No. I'm not."

She turned around fully and gazed at him with glazed green eyes. Her lips pulled up into a sad smile as she tried her best to cover up any emotion underneath. Panic flushed through Itachi's veins. He had never seen that look on the face that always showed him happiness- either to him or the rest of the world.

"I'm sorry."

I'm sorry? No. What was she doing? What was she_ thinking_? She wasn't leaving, wasn't she? She couldn't. He wouldn't let her. Before he could react, he stiffened when warm breath tickled the back of his ear. When did she-? How-?

"Thank you, Itachi."

He fell unconscious with the thought of his most precious person.

* * *

Itachi opened his eyes to see a dark sky. It was pitch black outside. No moon, no stars, yet a street lamp flickered every so often in the distance.

_What was he doing here again?_

He sat up from the bench he was laid on and looked around. Realization hit as memories of his earlier encounter coursed through him. Itachi gripped the cloth of his pants until the were on the verge of tearing.

_'Sakura...'_


	44. The Prisoner

"Do you have any idea where to go? _At all? Way to go, brat. Way to go._"

Sakura rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her traveling companion. It had been about a week since she had left the village, and when Zetsu caught wind of it, he met up with her immediately.

"I'm just heading out to some of the Bounty Stations in this area. I'll end up where I end up, no biggie. I've got five years of this, so there's no use rushing, you know?"

Zetsu had to flinch at that. When he first heard that a young girl had given up her hitai-ate to wander for five years from a reliable source, Sakura first popped into his mind. He really couldn't believe she would go this far to grow stronger, but once she told him her plan, he had nothing to say. There was a Takigakure shinobi on her kill list and she would stop at nothing until she completed her goal. Zetsu sighed.

"_A good place to start would have to be Otogakure._ It's a quiet village, not too much commotion. You could decide what to do from there."

"Thanks, Zetsu-san!" Sakura smiled, "I'll contact you when I have everything planned out."

He tousled her hair and sunk into the ground. Once he left, Sakura pulled out a map and pen from her backpack. She marked her current location and the places she had already stopped at. Otogakure was actually much closer than any of the Bounty Stations, so Ta no Kuni would be her first destination.

It took three days to get there.

She was on the border when she saw a couple of uniformed men carry some strange looking liquid-filled tubes to a cave a couple of hundred yards out. Being the curious person she was, she followed them inside. Right when she stepped in, the smell of blood, iodine, and burnt plastic hit her right in the face. The combination was sickening. Sakura silently walked into the area and saw cell after cell after cell of dead bodies. There had to be at least a hundred bodies piled and rotten in the cells.

Damn, those uniformed bastards were human experimenters.

Sakura finally reached a large metal door at the end of the main corridor. There were chains and numerous locks across the front and a clipboard filled with information to the side.

_Patient: 12503_

_Name: Juugo_

_Gender: Male_

_Age: 15_

_Height: 5' 11"_

_Weight: 142 pounds_

_Notes: Incredible ability to absorb natural energy. Prone to random bouts of anger. Assumed severe case of bipolar disorder. Extremely dangerous. Further examination needed._

_(Authors note: Remember you guys, since Orochimaru never left the village, the curse mark doesn't exist.)_

Sakura stared at the information with interest. She then picked up the keys that hung right under the clipboard and proceeded to unlock the door. The second the last lock dropped and the door was pushed open, a fist lashed out and smashed Sakura into the back wall. Mad laughter filled the hall. It stopped abruptly when the dust cleared and Sakura appeared fine. Half her body had turned a dark gray and was holding her attacker's fist in her own.

"So, you're Juugo, huh?" she asked. He jumped back and grabbed his arm.

"I... You shouldn't have opened the door. I'm dangerous. You could've died. I'm so sorry." he muttered. Sakura let her jutsu fade and removed herself from the dent in the wall.

"Well, I'm not dead, am I?" she grinned, "My name's Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you, Juugo."

She extended a hand in greeting. He stared at her hand with uncertainty before tentatively reaching out and grasping her much smaller hand with his.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Both of them looked to see the experimenters running towards them. Sakura made a run for it, tugging Juugo along. Those men weren't hard to lose, seeing that they weren't shinobi. Just no-good 'scientists'. They made it outside within seconds and took refuge behind a nearby waterfall.

"Are you alright, Juugo?" Sakura questioned. He nodded, staring down at the floor. She sent him a worried glance and approached him slowly. He suddenly crouched down and began feeling the ground.

"Is this... grass?"

She nodded. A small smile crossed his face.

"I've never felt grass before... I've only heard about it. It feels nice. And it's really green. I didn't think things could be this green."

Sakura had never seen someone look so happy from something as simple as that. A smile of her own crossed her face as she crouched down next to him.

"Juugo, would you like to travel with me? I don't think you have someplace, so I'll take you everywhere I can."

He was startled by the offer and looked at her with wide orange eyes.

"But I-I nearly killed you! Why... Why would you..."

Juugo stopped when he saw her sincerity and her cheerful smile.

"C'mon, Juugo. Don't you want to see the world? I can take you anywhere you want. You don't have to go back to that crummy old cell ever again, and you certainly don't have to be anyone's test subject anymore. What do say? You wanna come along with me?"

Sakura stood and had her hand outstretched once more. Juugo took a hold of it, this time without any hesitation.


	45. The List and the Medic

Juugo had been in that lab for twelve years. He hadn't experienced much of the outside world, and if he did, he didn't remember it. The only human interaction he had were those other prisoners and the people who conducted experiments on him. He really was a really nice, gentle person, albeit a bit awkward. A good kind of awkward. Juugo also had a list of things he had to do and see for him to be truly content.

_1) Make a friend. _

His first friend outside the lab was obviously Sakura. She was always nice to him and was able to calm his anger whenever it surfaced. He had a friend once named Kimimaro, but he died years ago due to one of the serums injected into him. Juugo used to have nightmares that Sakura would die like Kimimaro did, but eventually, she assured him that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Juugo believed every word she said.

_2) Go cloud-watching. _

_3) Go star-gazing._

They stayed at small inn in Otogakure for about two weeks. They planned the places they would go and gathered supplies for their trip. The skies were beautiful in this village and it was the perfect place to spend the day light watching fluffy, white clouds pass across the pale blue background. Sakura and Juugo spent the last day in Otogakure pointing out shapes in the sky, and once the sky turned into a smooth, violet hue, they gazed at the stars. Both of them fell asleep on the inn's roof.

The next day, they headed out of the village. Sakura was still teaching Juugo how to use chakra effectively and how to apply it to using jutsus. Since he couldn't power chakra to his feet consistently and efficiently, it was settled that they would walk to their destinations until he could. Juugo was a quick learner, so Sakura estimated that he would be able to leap through the trees at her speed in about a week.

When the sun had set, they took refuge in a small village about seven hours away from Otogakure. At the inn, Juugo sneezed.

"Are you getting cold?"

"Probably." he sniffed, "I got sick a lot when I was a kid."

"I'll go out and get some medicine then. Stay here and try to get some sleep, okay? I'll be back soon."

Sakura made sure that he was warm and groggy before grabbing her kunai pouch and walking out of the room, shutting the door silently behind her. The sun was nearly gone from the horizon when she stepped out of the building and most of the stores had closed. Fortunately enough for her, there was a small pharmacy open. She stepped inside.

"Ah, hello there, young lady!" the woman behind the counter greeted, "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you a traveler?"

Sakura's eyes swept over the woman's appearance before she smiled in return.

"Yes ma'am. But my friend is coming down with a cold, do you have anything for that?"

The woman nodded, her shoulder-length brown hair bobbing as she did so.

"Of course! I have some herbs in the back that will get your friend in tip-top shape in no time! Just give me a minute to get what you need." she smiled. Sakura nodded and watched as the woman disappeared in the back of the shop. The shopkeeper certainly looked young, maybe in her mid-twenties. Though there was something about her...

The woman came back with a packet of herbs.

"Put a teaspoon of this in a cup of hot water and have your friend drink it twice a day. These herbs will last for five days. Even if he seems fine by, let's say, the third day, still have him take the tea the next two days. The cost is 55 ryo (550 yen)."

Sakura paid for the herbs and placed it in her kunai pouch.

"Thank you, Miss..."

"Rin." the woman smiled, "Rin Nohara."


	46. Fourteen

The next day, Juugo was bedridden with a fever of 104 degrees. He constantly faded in and out of consciousness and could barely keep anything down his throat. Sakura ran a hand through his damp hair.

"I'm going back to the pharmacy to see what else I can get to help you. Is there anything you want me to get while I'm out?" she asked. He managed to shake his head no and offered a small smile before going back to sleep. Sakura tucked Juugo's blanket tighter around him before popping some pills into her mouth and making her way out into the city.

Unlike the night before, the streets had plenty of people, all civilians. She made her way to the pharmacy and approached the counter.

"Good morning, Rin-san."

"Sakura-san! Good morning! How's your friend doing?" asked Rin.

"Not too well." Sakura sighed, "He's running a fever now. Do you have any remedies for that?"

Rin nodded and motioned Sakura to follow her into the back. She followed cautiously and was met with the most extensive supply of herbs and chemicals she had ever seen. A steel table stood in the middle of the stock room and was covered in various tools and scrolls.

"It'll take me about thirty minutes to make it. I thought it would be boring for you to wait out there by yourself so I brought you back here." Rin said. She turned around to grab some of the items on the upper shelves. "So where are you from, Sakura-san?"

Sakura lifted her eyes to gaze at the woman's back.

"Konoha."

She saw Rin tense slightly.

"Oh, really? I've heard that's a really nice place. Very green and has numerous medicinal herbs around the village. Are you a shinobi?" the woman questioned.

"Hai. I recently turned chuunin. After that, I went to Hokage-sama, asked for a leave of absence as a Konoha shinobi to train myself, and he let me go. My hitai-ate's with him and my teammates are training with strong shinobi. My genin sensei is on a two year long mission, though I'm a bit worried about him."

Multiple questions raced through Rin's head as she laid her ingredients on the steel table and began to work. A leave of absence? Didn't that make her a rogue? No, it couldn't because she had the Hokage's permission, right? Then why did she give up her hitai-ate? Rin settled on something milder.

"You're worried about your genin sensei? Why?"

Sakura sat on a stool on the opposite side of the counter and rested her head in the palm of her hand.

"It's just that everyday, he goes to the Memorial Stone we have in the village. He spends most of his free time there because his teammate's names are engraved on the stone. He's told me stories and how he blames himself for their deaths. I don't think it's his fault, but nothing will change his mind about it." explained the girl. The rest of the time Rin spent making the remedy was spent in an easy silence. Once she was finished, they walked back up to the cash register and set everything up.

"Thank you for everything, Rin-san." Sakura said. She turned to walk out of the store with the medicine in hand.

"Sakura-san, if I may ask... what's your sensei's name?"

Sakura looked over her shoulder, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Kakashi Hatake. And you know, Rin-san, he really does miss his teammates."

* * *

The very next day, Juugo was in high spirits with his fever completely gone and his temperature lowered back to normal. Him and Sakura packed their belongings and were completely prepared to head out into the world again.

"Are you ready to finish more things on your list, Juugo?"

"Definitely!"

_4) See the ocean._

_5) Walk on the beach._

They headed Southeast to the tip of Yu no Kuni. The country was blessed with wonderful hot springs everywhere you went and a beautiful coastal line complete with white sand and crystal clear waters. They stayed there for a week. The first two days, Juugo was alone and Sakura was out delivering a bounty. The next five days, though, the two spent their days playing in the water and their nights walking along the beach.

They both tanned at least five shades darker.

_6) Try chocolate._

_7) Try dango._

On October 1st, Juugo's sixteenth birthday, there was a festival in Port City in Fire Country. Sakura and Juugo tried everything the stalls had to offer.

"Juugo, here! Try this!" Sakura exclaimed. She held up a chocolate covered strawberry to his lips and let him take a bite.

Sakura was enjoying herself with Juugo. He was extremely fun to be with and she was glad that she took him along with her. She vaguely remembered her time in Konoha with Itachi and winced slightly when she recalled leaving him on that bench.

_'Kami, I hope Itachi doesn't hate me.'_

* * *

His heart was heavy, and he didn't know why.

It had been three months since Sakura had left the village and Itachi was sure he had gotten over the initial shock. He carried on missions like normal just days after that. There were no problems in his work or in his actions, but something felt off.

During dinner, Itachi was silent and calmly sipping his black tea. He ate in precise, measured bites as per normal, yet he stared down at the table as he did so. Fugaku and Mikoto exchanged glances.

"So, Itachi-kun, isn't it a little quiet without Sasuke-kun around?" his mother questioned as she poured him some more tea.

"... Perhaps." he answered in his usual, distant tone, "But he is becoming stronger. It is payment enough for the silence."

Okay, so it wasn't Sasuke he was upset about. A gleam flashed through Fugaku's eyes.

"Then Sakura. Would you say the same for her?"

Itachi paused at his father's words. The answer should be 'yes', but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Mikoto reached across the table and patted her son's hand with a soft smile.

"It's okay to miss her, Itachi-kun."

_It's okay to miss her._

The ANBU Captain, strong and reserved, looked up at his parents with eyes filled with sadness.

"... Is... it?"

* * *

_8) See a rainbow._

"Eh? Hemophilia?" Sakura questioned. Hemophilia was the condition that blood doesn't clot normally. Juugo nodded and Sakura chuckled. "You're kinda fragile, aren't you?"

He stuck his tongue out and laughed along with her. The rain they were sheltered from slowed to a stop and the skies cleared. Juugo suddenly pointed up excitedly to the colorful arc in the sky.

"There's the rainbow!"

_9) Witness a snowfall._

In December, they went to Lightning Country to spend Christmas together. Sakura had sent gifts to Zetsu, Kisame, Suiren, Kana, Kakashi, Ibiki, Tenzou, Itachi, Lee, and Anko. Sakura and Juugo were sitting in front of the fireplace in their inn room, snow falling softly in the outside. They were wrapped in a blanket with mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. The clock ticked by softly with only thirty-four minutes left until Christmas.

"I'm really tempted to give you something tomorrow." Sakura said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Don't. I already told you, you've already done so much for me. You staying by my side is all I want." he grinned.

The next day, Juugo gave her a necklace with a bright, orange gemstone. It had been passed down in his family for generations. Sakura didn't know what to say and hugged him tightly, thanking him for trusting her with something so important.

_10) See a blood moon._

When February rolled around, they were in Wave Country on the Great Inari Bridge. Up in the sky was a large, red moon stared down at them. Juugo cocked his head to side.

"Sakura."

"What's up?"

"Why does the blood moon look like a tomato?"

Sakura didn't know why she found that so funny, but she broke down laughing.

_11) See the Aurora Borealis_

"This is the second to last thing on your list, right? To see the Aurora Borealis?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah, but why are we here in Water Country? Isn't it always misty in this country?"

"It's misty year round _except_ for one hour around this time in late March. In that one hour, the skies are completely clear and the Aurora Borealis can be seen by the entire country! You're definitely going to love this one, Juugo. It's a sight to see." she grinned. "It might be tonight, it might be tomorrow night, but who knows, we'll have to wait and see."

It was eleven o'clock at night and Sakura and Juugo were walking down the dark road. There weren't any nearby towns or villages, so there was an almost 100% chance that they had to camp in the forests for the night. While Sakura was looking around for a suitable place to set up camp, she felt it.

"Shit!" she cursed. She grabbed Juugo's wrist and pulled him closer to her. Ten people leapt from the trees and surrounded the duo.

"Juugo... avoid getting hit. They're higher ranks, B-ranks, to be precise. Just dodge, don't attack, understand?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

The attackers recognized the girl immediately. Sakura Haruno was listed in the Black Market version of the Bingo Book as extremely dangerous with a wonderfully high price on her head. She was young for such a title, but it was well deserved. Nine of them charged her way while the last one went after Juugo. Sakura's hands flew into the snake sign.

"Doton: Domu."

Her entire body turned dark gray and her skin hardened to near impenetrability. She ran at her opponents with her katana and Inner bubbling just under the surface.

Five were down.

She slashed, spun, and stabbed, and these shinobi were dropping like flies. It was like... they were so easy to take down. They posed no threat to her... so why...

All the blood rushed out of her face.

Sakura whipped around in time to see Juugo struggling against his pursuer. Time seemed to slow down as she bolted towards him.

"JUUGO!"

His attacker took out a tanto and rammed it through Juugo's abdomen and drove the blade to the right before fleeing.

She ran as fast as she could to his body and collapsed on her knees next to him. His chakra was so low, like it had been sucked out of him. Seeing him in this state made Sakura's eyes well up with tears as she dumped out her backpack and took out the bandages.

Shallow breathing and quiet sobbing filled the area. Sakura's eyes had grown red and puff as she bawled atop the form of her friend. Her hands were stained crimson as she tried to patch up his wounds. His damn hemophilia. It was no use. He was losing too much blood too quickly.

"Juugo... J-Juugo, stay awake! I can f-fix you... don't worry!"

His chuckle came out in dry rasps.

"It's al...alright, Sakura. You and I-I both know that I won't last much... longer..."

Her tears only came out faster as she bawled into his chest.

"I-we-we couldn't finish your l-list. You still ha-haven't seen the Aurora Borealis."

"Look up."

Sakura slowly picked her head up and turned her eyes towards the sky. A soft mix of color lay above them, glowing faintly. A weak hand raised and rested on Sakura's tear-stained cheek.

"I'm gl-glad I met you... and... and I'm so ha-happy that you were the p-person who helped me com... complete my list..." he murmured, "... please, b-before I die... won't you smile fo-for me?"

She grabbed onto his hand and let a wobbly smile make it's way onto her face, tears still falling. Juugo's very pale face lit up faintly as he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"A-Ah, I almost... forgot..." he muttered. She looked down at Juugo's heartbreakingly cheerful grin. "Happy B-Birthday... Sakura... I w-wish I... cou-could have g-given... you... m... ore..."

...

"... J-Juugo...?"

She waited minutes for an answer, but none came. And at that moment, Kakashi's words rang through her mind.

_"No matter how strong you are, you cannot save everyone."_


	47. Thank You, Kisame

_I'm going to find the person who killed him, and when I do, I am going to __**rip him into pieces with my teeth.**_

After giving Juugo a proper burial, Sakura followed the trail towards his killer. Inner Sakura had taken over right after Sakura's tears had dried and she had given Juugo her final goodbyes. It had been two hours since then, and Inner's control was still going strong, and Sakura's rage ensured that Inner wouldn't fade any time soon.

Juugo's death...

Juugo's... death...

_'He... He had one more thing on his list... I told him I would help him, yet I don't even know what that last thing was...'_

Her fists clenched and dashed forward. That man was going to die by her hands even if it was the last thing she ever did. As she leapt furiously through the trees, a presence appeared next to her. She didn't stop.

"_**Oi, oi, oi, what's the rush?You're chakra's gonna**_ take a toll if you keep up this pace."

When Sakura didn't answer, Zetsu grew a bit concerned. She was moving at the fastest pace she could without a hint of slowing down.

"Sakura... _**What are you doing?**_ What's wrong?"

She stopped on one of the branches and turned to her old friend. He gasped quietly and took a small step backwards. Her eyes were...

_Pitch black._

Sakura told him about how when her Inner took over, her personality would change and her eyes would turn a darker shade of green. The angrier she was, the darker her eyes. A small smirk crossed her face.

"_**Mornin' Zetsu. What brings you to this country at three a.m.?**_" she questioned smoothly. He had to shudder at the malicious tone.

"I was just checking up on you. _**Where's that boy that was with you? Juugo, was it?**_"

"_**Dead.**_"

"Dead?! H-"

"_**Don't worry about it. His killer is a dead man. I'll make it to him in about ten minutes and give him the death he asked for. It's best that you're not here for this- I'm going to spare you the beautiful gore and his wonderfully painful screams**__._"

Zetsu didn't know what to say. He nodded at her then watched as she bolted away. He released the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"_**She's scary.**_ It's a bit worrying."

* * *

Juugo's killer was in her sights.

He wasn't anything special, just a B-rank vagabond who didn't know who the hell he was dealing with. Sakura took out a kunai and threw it at his leg, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"_**Guess who came to play, bastard!**_"she exclaimed, shrieking with laughter.

That man endured torture beyond his wildest nightmare. By the time the pain became too much and he gave into his death, Sakura's eyes faded back into it's usual green.

"Ah..." she muttered, swaying slightly, "I went too far..."

Sakura collapsed on the ground, her chakra capacity near zero.

About a day later, the Cypher Division were on their way back from a simple C-rank mission. It was raining on their way back. When they approached the outer walls of Kirigakure, they stumbled upon a mutilated mass of flesh and a petite body sprawled across the ground beside it. Suiren recognized her immediately.

"Sakura!" she gasped. She ran over to the still body and felt for a pulse. It was there, but barely. Suiren scooped the fourteen year old girl in her arms with little effort. It was strange- didn't Sakura wear weights? She motioned for one of the Division members to carry Sakura's backpack and ran towards her house within the village.

* * *

"Papa! Papa! Up! Up! Up!" Kana exclaimed, making grabby hands towards Kisame. He grinned and picked her up.

"Aren't you tired yet, hime? It's almost time for bed."

Kana pouted and crossed her arms.

"Dun wanna! Kana has to?"

"Yes, Kana has to."

The door burst open that moment and a drenched and panicked Suiren rushed in towards the spare bedroom, and unconscious Sakura in her arms. Kisame set his daughter down.

"Get ready for bed, hime. Mama and I will be there soon." he said. Kana nodded and watched curiously as her papa paced away and disappeared around the corner. When Kisame entered the room, Sakura was changed and placed on the bed. Her skin was deathly pale.

"She was so close to death when I found her..." Suiren mumbled, "She was just... just..."

Kisame wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her on the forehead.

"You've had a long day. You go change, we'll tuck Kana in bed, and I'll watch Sakura tonight."

* * *

The Monster of the Mist sat in the corner of the guest bedroom with a book in his lap and a mug of coffee in his hand. It was March 30th, 12:14 a.m., and Sakura had not moved a muscle. She was still stark white and cold- it was a wonder she was still breathing. A black backpack was at the foot of his chair, nearly dry.

Kisame peered at it. The front pocket was open and a small white bottle made itself visible in the dim lighting.

'_Medication?'_

He picked up the bottle and read the labeling. Most of the words were chemicals and proteins he didn't know about, but he understood the last part.

Contains steroids to help treat Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage. Keep out of reach of children.

Sick. Sakura was sick.

Kisame re-read the bottle over and over again. He just couldn't believe what he saw. Was it true? Could the cheery pipsqueak he had known all these years have an irreversible lung condition?

A bout of wet coughing erupted him from his thoughts. He stood up instantly and rushed over to Sakura's bedside. She had shot up into a sitting position with her hand over her mouth. Once she pulled away, his eyes widened. Her hand was dripping with red liquid.

"Kisame-san, can you please hand me my medicine?" she smiled, blood dribbling down from the corner of her mouth.

The following afternoon, after Sakura had gotten plenty of rest, Kisame had come into the room.

"Kana-chan isn't here?" asked Sakura.

"She's out shopping with her mom." Kisame replied, "Now, with you. Suiren came in last night with you at death's doorstep. I think you owe an explanation or at least shed some light on the matter."

"I just chased after a rogue and killed him."

"_Just_ chased after a rogue and killed him? You ripped him to shreds."

Sakura cast her eyes downward and Kisame's expression softened. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her.

"What happened?" he questioned quietly.

"I..."

Her bottom lip started to quiver and tears spilled down her cheeks. Kisame stared at her, dumbfounded- at a loss of what to do. He had never seen her like this. Sure, she had been sad before, but never to the point of tears. This was the first time he had seen her cry.

"I was so angry at him for killing someone important to me." she whispered. She furiously wiped her eyes and sniffed. "But it wasn't until earlier that I realized that it wasn't completely his fault. I was there too. I knew he wasn't so skilled as a shinobi yet, but I left him alone. I saw his killer go for the attack, but I couldn't stop him. I... I could have..."

More tears came as she cried into Kisame shoulder. He held her in his arms and rubbed her back in soothing circles. So even a strong person like her could break down like this, huh? He wanted to tell her 'Everything's going to be okay' or 'It wasn't your fault', but what good did saying that do? The important thing that he wanted to tell her was that there are some things that you just can't take control of.

And it was like she forgot how old she really was. Sakura had taken so much responsibility on her shoulders even if the weight wasn't meant for her.

She was just a kid, and sometimes, Kisame forgot about that fact too.


	48. The Ace of the Explosion Corps

It replayed in her mind over and over for the past three weeks. She couldn't save him. She wasn't strong enough. He could have lived if she was there for him.

_**There was nothing you could have done**__._

_'You're wrong! If only I were stronger... If only I was fast enough to stop the blow...'_

_**Even if you were faster, the tanto would have still gotten to him.**_

_'No! I could have... I-I could have...'_

_**It wasn't your fault.**_

_'It was all my fault!'_

_**Sakura...**_

_'Shut up, Inner! He DIED because of me!'_

Sakura sighed and leaned against the wall of her inn room. A few days ago, she arrived in Iwagakure. The country was hot and dry and covered with rocky mountains. She drew her eyes away from the ceiling.

They'd only be friends for nine months. Nine months. And yet... he had become such an important person to her. Sakura shook her head and stood up. She grasped the orange pendant that hung around her neck. This was the only thing she had left to remember Juugo by. As long as she had this with her, she guessed that she would be alright for a while.

_'I should go out in the city and get some fresh air. It should be cool out by now, it's eight.'_

* * *

_'I should've stayed the hell inside!'_

It had in fact not gotten any cooler since she had arrived in the village. It was a blistering 102 degrees Fahrenheit outside despite there being no sun and it was humid. What the hell was wrong with this village?! This weather was terrible!

"You new in town, hm?

Sakura looked over her shoulder and saw a short-haired blonde walked up to her.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"For one, this is the first time I'm seeing someone with pink hair, un. Two, none of the locals are out at night. It's the most humid part of the day and no one wants to deal with that." he grinned. Sakura's shoulders slumped and she let out a dejected sigh.

"And here I was hoping for nice, fresh air."

"All you're gonna get is nasty here, un. In the summer, at least. So, you gotta name or are you just wandering around looking for one, hm?" he asked.

"Sakura Haruno, and I'm wandering around looking for something like a training ground. What about you Mr. Iwa Nin?"

"Deidara, un. I was just about to go training myself." he said, pointing towards the west, "There's a large sparring ground near my studio, hm. How 'bout some one on one?"

"Sounds good. Don't cry when you lose, though." she smiled. Deidara smirked. There was no way he was going to get beat by this pipsqueak.

* * *

A shadowed figure sat in a chair, absentmindedly twirling a pen in his hands. He stared at the dust that twirled in the moon light shining in the room. Ah, how badly injured he was, even after all these tiresome years. On his desk sat countless papers and pictures of one named Sakura Haruno. Years of researching... years of studying... The day was coming near.

The day he would ruthlessly kill her and destroy Konoha.

He already had a decent amount of followers at his back- not that they were needed when the day of the planned attack finally came. By that time, he'd have an army that had already lived their mortal lives. His current followers were sent on simple missions that included information gathering and charting down Haruno's whereabouts.

Oh, he couldn't wait until she was dead.

* * *

"HOW DID YOU AVOID MY C-2 BOMBS, UN?!"

"I hid underground."

"THEN HOW DID YOU KNOCK ME OFF MY CLAY DRAGON?!"

"I waited until you were low enough for me to- hey, are you crying? I told you not to cry when you lost."

"I'M NOT CRYING! YOU THREW ME IN A LAKE, GODDAMMIT! I'M _SOAKED_!"

Sakura laughed and extended her arm to help him out of the water. Deidara grasped her hand gratefully and pulled her in the water with him. Once she resurfaced, she smacked his arm playfully.

"What the hell, blondie?! Now I'm wet!"

"Ha! That's what she said, un!"

After more laughs and splashes, they went to Deidara's studio/home to dry off. There, they were seated in his living room sipping lemonade and enjoying potato chips. Their conversation ranged from simple things like colors and food all the way to heavy topics like opinions on politics and dreams of the future. At about three a.m., curiosity got the best of Sakura.

"Hey Deidara, I was just wondering... what happened to your left eye?" she asked. The smile on his face turned into a bitter one.

"When I was eleven, I was captured on a mission and tortured for information. First, they took off my right arm." he said. He raised his right sleeve to expose a large section of browned, dead skin. "I still didn't talk, so they stabbed my eye with a senbon seven times. A squad found me by then, but my eye is permanently blinded. I wear this range finder to help with my vision even if it doesn't do much."

Silence settle between them. Shinobi had to sacrifice so much to protect their village because they loved it so much. And here Sakura was- she practically abandoned hers. She suddenly stood up and stared at Deidara with determination hardened eyes.

"One day, I'm going to heal your arm and your eye!" she declared. Deidara gaped at her and waved his hands around.

"O-Oi, you don't need to do that, hm. I've lived with this for five years, I'm pretty used-"

"I will! I promise you that one day, you will see out of both eyes!" she proclaimed.

"But-"

"No buts, tinkerbell! I will do it!"

"Who the hell are you calling 'tinkerbell', billboard brow?!"

"Billboard brow?! Say that again! I fucking dare you!"

And thus began their friendship.


	49. An Invitation

The body fell at her feet with a near-quiet thud. Sakura clicked her tongue and flung the body over her shoulder. B-Class Kirigakure missing-nin. Eight million ryo. He was well worth the money even if he didn't give much of a fight. For about a mile, she carried the dead shinobi through the trees. At the end of her trek, she arrived at a small tea shop on the side of the road. She nodded to the shop owner as she entered the empty store and entered the back door.

The cozy interior didn't continue into the basement. She walked down the stairs and into a morgue that was dark gray with two walls completely covered with morgue shelves. The body collector greeted Sakura and motioned for her to lay the body on the examination table.

"You've got another good one, Sakura-chan." he said, "This guy... definitely Dai Takashi. Let me get your money and you'll be on your way."

"Thank you, Arata-san."

Arata walked down into the cellar to collect the bounty money. Sakura propped her head up in her hands and heaved a large sigh. Drowned in her thoughts, she barely noticed the soft footfalls that echoed behind her.

"I'm... curious." a new voice said lightly. Sakura looked over her shoulder to see a beautiful blue haired woman with a labret piercing.

"Oh? Of what?"

"Of you. What is someone as young as you doing in a place like this?" the woman asked. Arata walked back into the room with a black suitcase. He handed it to the fourteen year old.

"It's all there, Sakura-chan." he smiled. He turned to the newcomer, "And for you, Konan-san, I have your information. Please give me a moment to retrieve it from the back."

Arata went back into the cellar.

"You've been given all that money... why?" Konan question quietly. Sakura opened the briefcase and began to count everything.

"What makes you think I'm not one of those rogues? I may be a child, but that doesn't mean I should stay glued to my village like a lapdog." she replied. She snapped the briefcase shut and slid it off the table. "Thank you, Arata-san!"

The girl nodded to the older woman before walking out the door and back onto the road.

* * *

Not even five minutes into Sakura's walk to the nearest, the woman from the collection office had caught up with her.

"Sakura-chan, right? I mean, if it's alright for me to call you that."

"No one's stopping you." Sakura grinned, "So what is it that you need me for, Konan-san?"

"Like I said before, I'm curious. If you don't mind, would you tell me exactly what you're doing cashing in bounties?"

"Well... long story short, I handed in my hitai-ate last year. I asked the Hokage for a five year leave of absence." the girl said, "I wanted to get stronger and my village had nothing more to teach me. My sensei agreed to it, I took the opportunity."

Konan wouldn't lie, she found this young kunoichi very, very interesting. To be strong enough to take down a missing-nin and to be allowed receive such large amounts of money like that... This girl was one of a kind.

"Say, Sakura-chan, are you happy with what Konoha had to offer you?" Konan asked. Sakura cocked her head to the side in thought.

"I guess so. It's nothing too extraordinary, but I'll live with it." she replied after a few seconds, "I have lived by it for quite a while, so I've gotten used to it."

"You don't have to put up with it, you know. You could always come to Amegakure."

Sakura stopped walking and looked at Konan incredulously.

"W-What?"

"Come to Amegakure." she repeated, "You're young, strong, and have a bright future ahead of yourself. It would be a great honor to have you as a shinobi for the village. I happen to be the leader's right hand and I'm able to put you into the system if you accept."

The girl was at a loss for words. After _actually considering_ for few seconds, she bowed in respect.

"I appreciate the offer, Konan-san. I really do, but people are waiting for me back in Konoha. I hope you understand, but I have to decline."

A gentle smile made it's way onto Konan's face as she patted the top of Sakura's head.

"They say wherever someone is still thinking of you, that place is your home, and a home is something you cannot take away from anyone no matter how hard you try. I understand completely, Sakura-chan, but if you ever decide that Konoha is no longer where you belong, the gates to Ame are always open to you."

Konan waved and walked off in the other direction, leaving Sakura to continue on to the next town. Once again, she was interrupted about five minutes into the quiet walk, but it was someone she recognized.

"Are you Sakura Haruno?" he asked. Sakura nodded.

"And you are Ao-san, correct?"

"Yes, and I'd like you to come with me. please. The Mizukage has requested to see you."


	50. A Mission from the Mizukage

Nineteen year old Itachi Uchiha sat in the midst of a sunflower field. It was the usual sunny day in Konoha and he was off duty for the next few days. One would expect him to be in his room or even going to visit his favorite dango shop. But no. Itachi had a strange urge to sit with the bright flowers with a book- _The Giver_\- in his hands. It was a Christmas gift he received in the mail. There was no return address, but there was an envelope inside.

_Itachi-san, _

_The first thing I want to say is that I am extremely sorry for leaving you on that bench! I had a feeling that you would stop me from what I had to do, so I had no choice. I'm so sorry. On another note, I really hope you enjoy this book! I remember how much you love to read, so maybe you'd find this book interesting._

_I'll be back one day, and when that day comes, let's go get dango at your favorite dango shop. okay?_

_Merry Christmas and take care, _

_Sakura_

He wondered constantly how she was faring out there. Was she safe? Was she hurt? Where was she? How was she?

...Would she really be back one day?

Only time could tell, eh? She had four years left. Four, long, long years. And then he could see her bright, cheerful smile again.

* * *

"Sakura-chan, it's been so long!" Mei greeted. She stood up from her desk and brought Sakura into a tight hug. She nearly suffocated in the Mizukage's large and impressive chest department. Once she was allowed to breathe, she grinned at the older woman.

"I came by a couple of months back. How are you and your hubby doing?"

Mei had married a wonderful man, whom Sakura was well acquainted with, two years before Kisame married Suiren. Now, Mei had an adorable four year old son named Haku Momochi.

"Zabuza and I are doing well. Now Sakura-chan, could you do a small favor for me? It'll last five weeks, six weeks tops."

"Sure."

"Oh thank you, Sakura-chan! I need you to do is go on a mission with Zabuza and Kisame-san. All this mission needs you to do is pose as the daughter of an ex-shinobi being protected by two mercenaries. This ex-shinobi;s, Fuguki Suikazan, daughter is a target to many people out there, and those people have to be eliminated." grinned the Mizukage, "Zabuza and Kisame-san are already waiting for you by the gates and have more information for you. Have fun!"

* * *

Kakashi walked through Ta no Kuni with a keen eye observing his surroundings. He was sent on this two year long mission to observe Takigakure and its country, Ta no Kuni, and the large stretch of unclaimed land in between. He was now in a small village about seven hours away from Otogakure. Maybe he could ask some of the locals about how their lives were.

The first place he stumbled upon was a small pharmacy in the center of town. Kakashi entered the store quietly and looked around.

"I'll be there in just minute!" someone called from the back.

"Take your time." he replied, picking up one of the glass jars and inspecting the herbs inside. He heard footsteps on the wooden floor.

"How may I help... you...?"

Kakashi turned around. The minute he laid an eye on the shopkeeper, the jar slipped from his shaky fingers.

"...Ri... Rin...?"

Rin took a deep breath and looked up at the shocked man.

"Hello again, Kakashi." she said, straight-faced, "Look, I want you to know that I'm s-"

Kakashi's arms encircled around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Tears flowed from his eyes as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"You're alive." he whispered, "You're alive. You're alive. You're alive._ I'm so happy_."

* * *

Kisame and Zabuza stood on either side of their 'charge', acting like the bodyguards they were supposed to be. Sakura, though, was none too pleased with the situation she had been forced into.

"Aw, come on. You look cute." Kisame grinned. She sent him an exasperated look and held up her arms, her kimono's sleeves pooling around her elbows.

"Cute? This is inefficient! What kind of person wears kimonos like this anyway? Long dragging sleeves? Geta sandals? This is ridiculous! I can't fight like this!"

"Ridiculous, yes. All Fuguki-sama's daughter wears are furisode kimonos, so you're going to have to deal with it for five whole weeks." smirked Zabuza.

"Everyday?"

"Everyday."

"Dammit."


	51. Naruto, Sasuke, and the Master

"Tou-saaaaaaan! Look who's baaaaack, dattebayo!"

Fifteen year old Naruto Namikaze burst through the office door with a huge grin and widespread arms with Jiraiya following closely behind.

"Naruto!" Minato smiled, standing up to hug his son, "It's good to see you back. You too, Jiraiya-sensei."

"Tou-san! Tou-san! I modified my rasengan into something super cool called the rasenshuriken, dattebayo! You see, I manipulated my wind- natured chakra to-"

Jiraiya put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Calm down, Naruto. If you talk too much, all the oxygen will stop going to your brain and it might stop working." he interrupted.

"It already has." a new voice said. Sasuke and Orochimaru walked into the office, each wearing their own respective smirks. If Naruto wasn't so happy seeing his best friend/rival, he wouldn't decked the damn Uchiha in the face.

"Sasuke-teme! You're back too!"

"Obviously, dobe."

"Whatever! We can settle this on the battle field later! Ne, ne, tou-san! Do you know where Sakura-chan is? Ero-sennin and I tried looking for her before coming to your office. Is she on a mission?" asked Naruto. This had been the question Minato had dreaded upon the arrival of his son.

"Right at the moment, we have no idea where Sakura is. We haven't heard from or have seen her since she was thirteen."

Naruto didn't quite understand what that meant. Sasuke, on the other hand, understood perfectly. His face grew a even paler than his normal pallor. Minato sighed.

"Sakura was given permission to go off for five years. Alone. She is able to whatever she wants wherever she pleases. If she doesn't return on her due date, she will be marked down in all the Bingo Books as a missing-nin immediately and will be hunted."

If it were possible, Sasuke had grown even paler.

"HUNTED?!" Naruto exploded, "Isn't that going a little too far?! This is Sakura-chan we're talking about! What reason would you have to hunt her? She-"

"Naruto. Stop. Your father made the right decision." the toad sage said softly. The blonde turned to his mentor incredulously.

"Wait. You've put such uncompromising restrictions on Sakura, suggesting just what exactly?" Sasuke questioned. Minato shook his head.

"That is confidential."

"But tou-sa-!"

"No buts, Naruto. I can't tell you anymore. I'm sorry you two, but if you want to see Sakura again, you're going to have to wait three more years."

* * *

"So you're Sakura-chan, hmm?" Yahiko mused. She nodded and stared into his thoughtful eyes. He suddenly brightened up, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"You're a very reliable, kunoichi, you know? The information you gave us was spot on and was perfectly detailed! It would be really convenient if you were an Ame shinobi, you could be my chief strategist!" he exclaimed. Sakura waved her hands in front of her.

"Sorry, but I have to decline, Yahiko-sama. LIke I told Konan-san, I have somewhere to return to." she said. Yahino pouted.

"Well, it was worth a shot." he sighed, "It was nice to meet you, Sakura-chan! Come by any time you need something, we're in your debt for this priceless information."

Sakura smiled and bowed before exiting the office with Konan. They passed by Nagato on the way out, Yahiko's head of ANBU forces and best friend. The two greeted him and proceeded to the gates of Amegakure.

"When do you think you'll come back?" Konan questioned.

"I'm not sure. Maybe a three, four months? I'll contact you when I come by again." said Sakura. Konan smiled at the teen and bid her goodbye. At this point, Sakura didn't know where to head off to next.

"I suppose I should go to see Tinkerbell." she murmured to herself, "I did promise him that rematch."

Blue flashed at the corner of her eye, and she turned her head. Nobody. She shrugged and continued on he way to Iwagakure. Must've been a bird or something.

* * *

"I apologize sir..." a man cloaked in navy muttered, kneeled before his master, "She almost noticed me on my way back to report to you."

"It's fine. What did you find?"

"Sakura Haruno now has acquired Yahiko, the leader of Amegakure, as her ally."

The Master nodded and dismissed his follower with the wave of his hand before sitting back down in his chair. That damned Haruno was gaining more powerful allies than he would have liked. First was that sensei of hers, then the plant experiment, then the shark freak, and finally that Uchiha prodigy, Itachi. Upon her leaving Konoha, she had gained the backing of Kirigakure and Amegakure, who were in debt to her services, and that ace bomber from Iwa.

Not to mention the countless numbers of his men that she murdered in the past.

The Master sighed. Once she had returned to Konoha, he could set his plan into motion. No, he wouldn't jump the chance immediately, but would simply bide his time with it. Konoha would pay. _Sakura_ would pay.

_Sakura_ took all his hard work away from him.

And dammit, she was only nine years old when she did so.

His revenge on her had already taken place. In fact, she had already been given a taste of his... hospitality. The Master chuckled when he recalled that day.

Seeing that girl crying over the body of her dead friend, Juugo, had certainly been a show he was happy to have conducted.


	52. A Jashinist

They met at a club in Yugakure.

The age limit at this particular club was fifteen, oddly enough. But it was completely understandable once you stepped foot inside. This club, Hideki's Stage, catered to the shinobi population. Hideki's Stage was filled to the brim with ninjas of all kinds all melded on the dance floor in the center. Sakura guessed this club was needed because the shinobi were getting younger and younger, so might as well let them have their fun when they still could.

It was crowded, loud, and dim- the perfect place to meet your partner for a job.

Sakura was seated at the bar, sipping a boilermaker. It was ten p.m. now, and the place was in full swing. Someone slid into the stool beside her and waved the bartender over.

"A cosmopolitan, please."

The bartender nodded and proceeded to make the man's order. Sakura looked over at him, trying to conceal the laugh that threatened to spill from her lips. The man lifted a finger at her, took a sip of his drink, and threw her a look.

"I know it's a fruity drink, but it's awesome and delicious and nothing you say can make me stop drinking it." he said. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter.

"Alright, Mr. Cosmopolitan. What brings you to this wonderfully blaring club?" she asked. He stuck out his tongue at the nickname and grinned.

"Just waiting for my partner- we're supposed to go on a job. Her name's Sakura Haruno, she's fifteen, 5'3"-ish, exotic hair color, aaaaaaand you're her, aren't you?" he deadpanned. She grinned and stuck out her hand.

"In the flesh. What about you, Mr. Cosmopolitan?"

"Not Mr. Cosmopolitan, but Hidan. Hidan of Yugakure."

* * *

"You mean... we have to go to a ghost town?" Hidan questioned. Him and Sakura were trudging through the heavy snow in Frost Country on their mission from a mutual benefactor. They were looking for a forbidden scroll that was lost somewhere in a ghost town. Many shinobi have tried to find the scroll, but the bandits that lurk around the town had prevented them from doing so. Sakura sent him an exasperated look.

"Yes! Didn't you read the mission scroll? It used to be a shinobi hideout but was abandoned years ago."

"Of course I did! I just meant... do we really have to go?"

The corner of her mouth twitched.

"Don't tell me... are you as weak-hearted for ghosts as you are with alcoholic drinks?" she grinned. The tips of his ears burned bright red as he turned to the kunoichi with a scowl.

"Girly drinks are one thing, but I'm not afraid of ghosts!"

Sakura waved him off.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Cosmopolitan."

"It's Hidan!"

It took three more hours through the snow before they were a mile off from the ghost town. And almost immediately, they were surrounded by bandits dressed in navy. Their leader, who was dressed in a lighter blue, stood before them.

"You two are here for the scroll, aren't you?" the leader hissed, "Well, are you?!"

"Say we are. So what?" Sakura snarled. The rest of the bandits pulled out kunai and readied themselves for a fight.

"We will not let you have it! We will _**sacrifice**_ our lives to make sure you never touch that scroll!"

Hidan stilled at the word 'sacrifice'. Sakura threw him a worried glance when he didn't move for a few seconds, but that worry turned to pure shock when a grin spread across Hidan's face and he threw his head back in maniacal laughter. His right hand gripped the handle of his scythe.

"You? Sacrifice? I'll show you a motherfucking sacrifice you cocksucking sons of bitches!" he crowed. Sakura just stood on the sidelines with her mouth hung open, watching Hidan go bat-shit crazy killing these bandits. What the hell happened nice-guy Mr. Cosmopolitan? He had gone completely mental! Fifteen minutes later, there were twenty bodies dead on the ground and Hidan laying in a blood-drawn diagram with a spear stuck through his heart. She walked up to him with a raised brow and crossed arms.

"Nice show you put on. What made you take the 180 degree personality turn?" she questioned. He cracked an eye and gave a sheepish smile.

"Sorry 'bout being like that earlier. I have multiple personality disorder, and I only turn into a fruitcake like that certain times of the year or if I drink tequila. Saying 'sacrifice' usually gets me out of it after a few days. It's a fucking sack of shit when that guys comes out. Hope you don't mind."

She shook her head and grinned.

"It's cool. Pretty interesting, too. Say, what's this diagram you made with your blood? And... how are you still alive? Are you immortal?"

Hidan yanked the spear from his chest and stood up. He slung an arm around Sakura and put the majority of his weight on her.

"Immortality is a thing of legends. It doesn't exist for shit." he informed, "But what I have is a religion called Jashinism and I worship a god named Jashin. Jashin means 'wicked heart', 'evil god', or 'evil design'. You'd assume with a fucking name like Jashin, us followers would bring on utter death and destruction, right?"

Sakura nodded. It made sense.

"Wrong! People have taken my religion completely out of context!" Hidan exclaimed, making Sakura jump at the sudden outburst, "My take on Jashinism goes like this. Jashin may mean all those bitch-ass things, but we are only allowed to sacrifice people who have a 'wicked heart' or bring utter death an destruction. Jashin has followers to get rid of extremely shitty people in this world."

She gaped at him a second time.

"How can you tell if people are shit?" she asked. She was truly amazed with him and his god. It was just so interesting! Hidan smirked and pointed to his bright, magenta eyes.

"Depending on how a person is, their aura gives off a specific color. Dick-bags like the one I sacrificed back there give off this rust color. Normal people have black auras, and completely innocent people have pure white auras. Those white auras are normally kids. Sometimes I see other colors, like when I look at you." he said. Sakura tossed him an odd glance.

"What colors am I then?"

"Red and blue." he answered quietly. His sclera had turned black and his irises had faded to white. "Red means you're out for revenge, wanting to kill someone that had done you wrong. Blue is the color of a heavy heart, meaning you're blaming yourself for something, and have been blaming yourself for a while."

Sakura looked to the side. Hidan's eyes then turned to their normal color and he gazed over her dejected form. He suddenly whacked the back of her head with a scowl on his face.

"Oi! Don't get all fucking depressed on me now! With a red and blue aura, you must've had it at complete shit, but you'll push the fuck through it, so stop fucking sulking and let's get that scroll from that shit ghost town!" he snapped. He stomped forward hastily, but Sakura could see the red tips of his ears.

"Yo, Hidan! You're a real sweetheart, you know?! You're blushing!" she called, a smile on her face.

"Shut the hell up!"

"Come on, wait up, Mr. Cosmopolitan! Be careful of that ghost town! It used to be a shinobi hideout and it could be littered with traps-!"

She was interrupted with a shriek.

Later on that day at a bar, Hidan argued that his shriek, in fact, was a manly one. Sakura gave him a bored stare and pointed to the drink in his hand.

"You can make that argument with me when you aren't drinking a strawberry daiquiri."


	53. Their Similarity

Sixteen year old Sakura walked into Ayumu Alley in Grass Country with a feeling that she didn't belong there. This decently sized town was completely filled with people and 'adult' enterprises. Sakura chuckled to herself. Hidan would have a field day in this place. She walked to the first restaurant she saw that didn't look too shady. The minute she stepped in, she spotted a black-haired woman with her head on the table and a small pig beside her, snorting in concern.

"Excuse me... are you alright?" asked Sakura as she sat opposite the stranger. The jaded woman raised her head and offered a weary smile.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired."

Sakura reached into her pack and pulled out a vial filled with light blue liquid. She gestured to the half empty tea cup on the table.

"May I?"

The woman shook her head and watched as the teen poured out the vial's contents into the cup.

"These are herbs I found exclusively in Yugakure." Sakura explained, "This particular concoction is supposed to relieve headaches, muscle pains, and give a quick boost of energy. Not at much as caffeine, but it's certainly the healthier alternative and it only took a few hours to make. It don't taste very good, but it'll help you get through the day. By the way, my name's Sakura Haruno."

The older woman grasped Sakura's waiting hand.

"I'm Shizune. Nice to meet you, Sakura-san." the woman smiled. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip of the altered tea. Shizune's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Sakura.

"Sakura-san, do you have a another vial of that elixir?"

* * *

Shizune found who she was looking for in a pachinko parlor about two hours later.

"Tsunade-sama!" she shrieked, "You're gambling again and wasting all your money!"

Tsunade waved off her frazzled assisstant and continued playing.

"Loosen up, Shizune. Have some fun, will ya? I'm only playing a small game, you should play too." the blonde said.

"You've been playing for over two hours!"

"That's beside the point."

Shizune sighed and took the empty seat next to the Legendary Sucker. Tonton oinked at the black-haired woman and nuzzled her stomach, reminding her of something she had stashed in her pocket earlier. Shizune pulled out a vial from the inside pocket of her dress. She held it out to Tsunade, who looked at it with a cocked brow.

"What's this?" Tsunade questioned. She grasped the container, took a whiff, and tried some of it, "An energy booster? And a high-quality one at that. Where'd you get this, Shizune? This kind of stuff is usually expensive because of the herbs used and the time and effort it takes to make it."

"I thought so too. I was at a cafe and this young lady gave it to me. She told me that it only took a few hours to make. It was different than the ones I've seen in stores and it was similar to yours, Tsunade-sama. Granted, it wasn't as strong as yours would have been, but the resemblance is uncanny."

The blonde stared at the elixir with a new found interest. It wasn't everyday that they'd come across someone who had a talent close to her own.

"I'd like to meet this person, whoever she is. Her name, Shizune?"

"Sakura Haruno."

* * *

The aforementioned sat in a booth in a bar on the nicer side of town. She had just paid a visit to Zetsu and had been chatting with him for the past two hours. He was the same as usual and had provided her with a great abundance of rare herbs that he had grown himself. She would have spent more time with him, but he had to go on a mission. Sakura took a swig of her beer and leaned back into her seat.

"Sakura-san?"

She looked to her left to see Shizune smiling down at her.

"Hello again, Shizune-san. And... Tsunade-san? Well, what a wonder to find you here." Sakura smirked. Tsunade's lips curled upwards in amusement as she slid into the plush seat across from Sakura.

"Oh, you know of me?" the sannin mused. Sakura set her beer on the table and propped her head up with her chin.

"Who doesn't? Tsunade Senju, one of the most powerful kunoichi, even shinobi, Konoha has ever known. You also carry the title 'sannin' along with Orochimaru-san and Jiraiya-san. Along with your inhuman strength and quick-thinking comes your abilities as a medic-nin. You are the best of the best, rival to none." she informed, causing the blonde's smile to turn into a grin.

"My reputation precedes me, just like yours."

"Mine?"

"Of course. You are very well known in the black market, didn't you know? Sakura Haruno, the little girl that can take on any mission- none of which are too big or small. You've killed hundreds and took at least half of the shinobi out of the bingo book single-handedly. The leader of Amegakure, the leader of Kusagakure, and the Mizukage ask you to do the missions that no one else dares to take up. You've made quite a big name for yourself, young lady."

Shizune didn't know what to make of this. Looking at Tsunade, then looking at Sakura, she was starting to think that the two were frighteningly similar. As the drinks began piling up at their table, Sakura and Tsunade got drunker and drunker. Both started talking without filters, and Shizune was learning so many things from the two that she didn't think she was supposed to know.

"Has that ever happened to you?" Tsunade slurred, "Someone that you care about is dying and nothing you can do can help them. You try and try but it's no use and it's all your goddamn fault. Than happened to my Dan... it was all my fucking fault!"

She turned her eyes to Sakura, who had her head down.

"I was fourteen." whispered Sakura. Tsunade and Shizune focused all their attention on her. "I had a friend named Juugo. I saved him from an experiment lab and we traveled together. He also had this list of things he wanted to do since he had been in that hell hole since he was three. We traveled the elemental nations, doing everything he wanted. But then came that goddamn day when we were attacked, and I couldn't stop it. He was bleeding so much because of his damned hemophilia! I couldn't help him! FUCK!"

Shizune noted that as another resemblance in their lives.

"Did he finish his list?" Tsunade asked.

"No. He had one more thing and I don't even know what it was." growled Sakura. She took a deep breath and calmed down her anger, "But on another note, I think my genin teammates are the same as yours. Did you know that Naruto went training with Jiraiya, and Sasuke went training with Orochimaru. Can you believe that?"

"Is Naruto an obnoxious idiot and does Sasuke constantly have a stick up his ass?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Holy shit! It's like they're twins!"

The two shared a laugh and Shizune sweat dropped. She supposed that both of them were better off drunk. As Sakura grabbed a new bottle of beer, she looked at Tsunade with a dead serious expression.

"There's something I want to ask you, and I want you to take this into full consideration. Being totally fucking hammered may not be the best time, but it's better than nothing." she said, her eyes cloudy, "Tsunade-san. Will you..."

* * *

Hangovers fucking suck- is what Sakura learned early the following morning. The birds were singing, sunlight shined through the window, and she was lying on Zetsu's guest room floor. She didn't make it to the bed when she stumbled into his apartment, and now she was looking under it. Kami, he really needed to sweep under there. A water bottle entered her field of vision. She looked up.

"Tsunade-san?" Sakura murmured, rubbing her eyes, "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you're not dead from all the alcohol you've consumed. Hurry up and drink, it should help with the headache. After you're all better, we can head out."

Sakura sat up groggily and stared at the sannin with confusion.

"We?" she questioned. Tsunade grinned.

"Don't you remember? Maa, you little brats and your low tolerance with alcohol. You asked to be taught by me."

The girl's eyes widened.

"Now hurry up, Sakura! We don't have all day. I can take you to a couple of gambling halls before Shizune comes and hauls us out."

A genuine smile grew onto Sakura's face.

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou!"


	54. A Challenge!

_Training- Month One_

"Alright, Sakura! Listen up!" Tsunade ordered. Sakura stood about a third of a mile away from her shishou, "For this first bit of training, you're going to be dodging things I'm sending your way. Pretty easy, right?"

Sakura nodded. Tsunade summoned ten clones and created a circle around Sakura. The original then brought her hands up into the tiger seal.

"Kokuangyou no Jutsu!"

The girl's world turned to black as all she could see was utter darkness.

"Tsu-Tsunade-shishou?"

"Just dodge."

Kunai, shuriken, boulders, and lightning made way towards her.

* * *

The Master lazily rapped his fingers against his desk and stared outside his window. He was growing increasingly bored as the days passed. Sakura was only sixteen, and he had two more years until she would return to Konoha.

"Sir! We've gathered more news for you!" one of his followers exclaimed, walking up to his desk. The Master motioned for him to continue.

"Sakura is now under the tutelage of Tsunade Senju, the slug sannin! What is your plan of action?"

The Master hissed in annoyance and leaned back into his chair. Her again. Causing more complications than she needs to. A smirk crawled onto his face. Her training with Tsunade could prove fruitful. The stronger she was, the more exciting it would be to take her down.

"There is no plan of action. If Danzo were still alive, we could have used him, but since he's not here, we'll let Sakura do as she pleases. For now. We'll let her train with Tsunade, but all I want you to do is find Danzo's missing arm and eye. Do you understand? We'll need it in the future." said The Master. His follower nodded and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Sakura felt like she was dying.

The training grounds around her were mutilated to the point of never fixing itself. The grounds were upturned and the trees were strewn across the ground. Tsunade had finally let her clones and the genjutsu dissipate and was now crouched in front of Sakura, who was battered and bruised amidst the destruction.

"Well done, Sakura." she grinned, "You've done well. I didn't think you could've dodged the lightning. And since you've done great today, I'll double the amount of clones tomorrow!"

Sakura groaned.

_Training: Month Three_

"... Where did you find two half-dead baby sea otters, shishou?"

"Tsunade-sama! Did you take those babies away from their mother?! How could you do that?!"

"Oink!"

"Shizune, shut it. We'll return them when they're better. Sakura, heal them. Now. I don't care how long it takes."

_Training: Month Four_

Sakura was walking through Shikkotsu Forest, home to the slugs. It was dense with dark greenery and was littered with numerous bones that went as tall as a hundred feet in height. Sakura had only read about this place in books. This forest was legendary, just about as legendary as Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave.

"Are you lost, young one?" a voice questioned softly. Sakura turned around and came face to face with a very, _very_ large slug.

"I... think I might be, miss. My name is Sakura Haruno, and I was sent here by my shishou to see the Slug Sage."

"Ah, so you're the one Hidemi-sama said would come. My name is Katsuyu, Sakura-san. Please follow me and I can take you to her."

"Thank you, Katsuyu-sama."

She followed the slug through the forest and was brought to a lone building where a pale yellow slug with red markings, about the size of ten people, was sitting in an enormous room full of books. Katsuyu nudged Sakura forward before nodding encouragingly and heading off.

"Um... Hidemi-sama...?"

"Hello there, child. I've been expecting you. Come, come, I want you to do something for me."

Sakura walked over to Hidemi. She had three books laid out before her. There was a gray one, a white one, and a red one. One of the Slug Sage's feelers gestured towards them.

"Which one would you pick, child?" she questioned. Sakura looked at the three books curiously. None of them had a title, just their color.

"The gray one, I suppose." the girl answered. The slug chuckled.

"I see. So you are very much like Tsunade-hime after all. Well then, nevermind that. There's a scroll up in that shelf over there. Retrieve it, and sign it with your blood. That will allow you to summon us at will."

_Training: Month Eight_

"Shishou, I have a question."

Tsunade looked over at her.

"Alright. Shoot." she said.

"I... have a friend. When he was younger, he lost an eye and an arm. They sowed his arm back on, but it always deteriorates when they replace it. Is there any jutsu that can regenerate body parts?" asked Sakura. The sannin's eyes slid over to her protege.

"It's called the Chikatsu Saisei no Jutsu and it's far from easy. Plus, the chance of success is low. It might not be enough to help your friend." Tsunade informed, "Even with this information, are you still willing to learn it?"

"Of course! I promised him that one day, he wouldn't have to suffer like that anymore. Even if it takes years for me to master it, I'm willing for his sake."

Later that day, Deidara received a letter.

_Tinkerbell,_

_I know this is on short notice, but I'm going to need you to grow your hair out to about your waist, cut all of it off, then seal it all in a scroll. I know you love your short hair, but trust me, but you aren't going to regret this. Luckily, your hair grows out quick._

_\- Sakura_

_The Tenth Month_

"You learn quick, you know? It seems like I've taught you everything I know these past ten months." Tsunade said. Her and Shizune were standing in a clearing near Tanigakure, facing Sakura with sad smiles.

"And I'm grateful to you for that, Shishou."

Shizune took a step forward and rested a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"You don't have to go so soon, Sakura-chan." she said, "You could continue on traveling with Tsunade-sama and I."

Sakura shook her head and gave the black-haired woman a smile.

"I've got about two years until I have to return to Konoha. It's not much time if you think about it, and there's still something I have to do. Shizune, Shishou, I'm going to head off."

She hugged both of them and set course towards Amegakure. Tsunade and Shizune stared after her as she disappeared on the horizon. Sakura, of course, had told them about the man she set off to kill- that Takigakure shinobi. Shizune, especially, was worried for the young girl's well-being. Tsunade wasn't worried about that, Shizune assumed.

Tsunade had just been like Sakura at one point in her life.

When Dan Kato had died, Tsunade had gone on a hunt for the man that killed Dan, and eventually, she got what she wished for. The man that murdered Dan was dead, but that fact didn't make Tsunade feel any better. Dan was dead, and nothing changed that fact. Shizune sighed and turned back to look at the horizon. She just hoped that Sakura would realize that even if she did kill that Takigakure shinobi, her parents were still going to be dead.

Tsunade went ahead into the village to find a gambling hall, but Shizune had said that she was going to hold back and look for something she dropped. That 'something' had been a rogue she stumbled upon earlier in the day. She walked through the forests behind Tanigakure and found the rogue bound near a tree.

"Alright you! What were you doing spying on us? Trying to get information? Trying to kill Tsunade-sama?" hissed Shizune. The rogue, near death, spat blood to the side and smirked.

"I-In the words of Th... The Master... Sakura... Ha-Haruno... will... fall..."


	55. Two More Years

"Well, well, well! Is that Sakura-chan I see? Sakura-chan~! Look at who's found you~!"

Sakura turned around curiously to see two shinobi leap down from the branches above. The one who called her out walked up to her with open arms.

"Sakura-chan~! Come here and give me a_ really_ big hug!" he exclaimed, "Actually, no. Give me a HUGE hug!"

"No."

"Sakura-chan~!" he pouted.

"No. What are you doing here Shisui-san?" she questioned. She looked over at the man behind the Uchiha and gave him a small wave, which he returned readily.

"Sai and I here are on a mission, simple stuff. Oh yeah! Sai, this is Sakura Haruno, the one who went on leave for five years. Sakura-chan, this is Sai. He's the one who goes on all the missions with your old team. Y'know, Team 7." Shisui explained. Sakura approached Sai and shook his hand in greeting.

"I've heard many good things about you." Sai said, a smile on his pale face, "Naruto talks about you all the time. You have... two years until you have to return to Konoha, correct? I'm sure that they'll be happy when you come back. Is there anything you'd like me to say to them for you?"

"Or for me to say to Itachi!" Shisui interrupted.

Sakura shook her head.

"There's nothing, really. I'll be home soon enough. And don't mention meeting me, would you?"

* * *

The Drapturn flower. It was said to only bloom at midnight on July 16th in the hot sands of Wind Country. All of them would bloom at the same time in an enormous meadow. Not many people knew the exact date it would bloom, and hell, not many people knew the Drapturn existed, but good remedy maker would jump at the chance. By the time Sakura got there, a Sunagakure shinobi was already sitting near the field.

"I take it that you're here for the Drapturn." he commented leisurely. Sakura took a seat beside him. It was currently 11:55.

"Yeah. How long have you been waiting here?"

"Ten minutes, just about. I'm starting to get irritated by how long I have to wait. It was my own idiocy to arrive so early." he grumbled. His half-lidded eyes stared boredly at the field. Sakura chuckled.

"Rather impatient, aren't you?"

"Can it, brat."

"Whatever you say, old man. And I bet you are old judging by how young you look."

"Where's the logic in that sentiment?"

A full minute passed, and at the stroke of midnight, the entire field blossomed, creating a sea of deep maroon. Both of them stood, slipped on their latex gloves, and began to harvest the flowers. This species was similar but stronger to its cousin, the _Autumn Crocus_. Both were one of the most endangered plants in the world and could cause reduced blood pressure and cardiac arrest. Plus, there was no antidote for the poisonous plants.

"I fail to see a hitai-ate on your person, brat, and you're definitely not a civilian. Any specific reason for that?" he questioned. Sakura opened a jar and placed the Drapturn inside.

"I'm not a missing-nin, if that's what your implying. I just have permission to leave my village for a few years. Actually, I've got a couple of years before I've got to head back. And 'brat' is not my name, old man. It's Sakura Haruno." she introduced.

"Sakura." he mused, "I suppose that it fits that ridiculous hair of yours."

"It's natural!"

"Sure it is. I'm Sasori Akasuna. I am older than I look, but don't think you'll be getting a specific age out of me."

They spent the rest of the harvesting engaging in small talk. Sasori worked at the hospital, but wasn't a healer. He specialized in poisons and antidotes, a useful set of skills to have. He even put some of his home made poisons in the puppets he used for battle. His grandmother had taught him everything he needed to know about those puppets and had gotten him interested in poisons.

"She's a poison expert as well?" she asked.

"Yes. Though she's having some trouble with... nevermind."

"Nevermind? No way. You started saying something, and you're going to finish that sentence." Sakura stated firmly. All the Drapturn had been harvested and they were packing all the specimens away.

"My father... he was poisoned and none of the medics in the village could help him. Chiyo-baa-san is trying to make an antidote, but I don't know how much longer he'll last. There is so much poison in his system that only a poison extraction technique could take it out. To my knowledge, only Tsunade knows the technique, but no one knows where she is and it would be useless to find her." murmured Sasori.

Kami, he did not know how lucky he was to encounter her at that time.

"I know the technique."

Sasori looked up at Sakura in surprise.

"You do?"

"Take me to your father and I'll do all I can to help him."

* * *

Chiyo was shocked when her grandson brought this young girl to the hospital with him. She was shocked even further when she introduced herself as the medic who would help her poisoned son. Heavy doubt settled in her stomach as she watched the teenager approach her son and the medics clustered around him.

"Excuse me." Sakura murmured softly. She walked up to the bedridden man and shone a flashlight into both of his eyes.

"Who are you?" one of the Suna medics questioned incredulously. Sakura smiled and pocketed the small flashlight.

"A medic that'll be able to help this patient." she replied smoothly. She ran her eyes over his chart at the end of his bed. Saburo Akasuna, age 56, and for now, in stable condition. She pressed an ear to his chest and listened to his breathing and heartbeat.

"The poison used on him was refined from heavy metals. It's the type that gets into his muscles and destroys the cells." explained Sakura. Chiyo narrowed her eyes. She could tell that much from a brief examination? Including the type of poison? That was a feat only Tsunade was capable of. The medics and Saburo's wife looked at her with wide-eyed wonder.

"Do you have the poison's composition?"

"Y-Yes." one of them said, handing her a clipboard, "There are some blanks, though."

"Don't worry. I'll have those filled in." she assured. Her eyes turned to Saburo. "His heart muscles are being destroyed as we speak, so it could stop functioning any time now. Creating the antidote would take too much time up, as I have been informed, so please get me all the materials I ask for. It's a drastic measure, but I can take most of the poison from him."

From outside the room, Sasori and Chiyo spoke to each other quietly.

"Where did you find her?" asked Chiyo, "Her skills are in a completely different league. I find her a bit suspicious, but I'm glad she's here."

"I only found her because she was gathering Drapturns. She told me she knew the technique to help him, but I had no idea she was this skilled." he replied. Footsteps sounded behind him and up came a short-haired blonde. A young Iwagakure shinobi sent to go on a joint mission with Sasori. He proved himself to be very irritating to the red-head.

"Oi, what are you doing in the hospital, un? We're due to leave in an hour. You already went picking your flowers, didn't you, hm?"

"Be quiet, Deidara. I found a suitable medic to help my father- I'm here to see how good she truly is." Sasori answered. Deidara looked into the room curiously and brightened up at the person he saw inside.

"Sakura-chan's the capable medic you found? I'm glad you stumbled upon her when you needed her, un!" he grinned.

"You... know her?"

"'Course I do, hm. She's kicked my ass upwards and sideways in every spar we've ever had over the years-"

"Like it's hard to beat you." Sasori interrupted. Deidara scowled.

"-and I was close to beating her sometimes, un! But it only got worse when she started training with that one sannin, Tsunade. Now she has that bizarre inhuman strength, the ability to heal..."

As he rambled on and on to Sasori, Chiyo watched Sakura work. They had pinned down Saburo and she was now extracting the poison by pulsing this liquid through the left side of his chest with one hand and extracting the poison through a slit on the right side of his chest with the other.

"Tsunade's student, huh...?" she muttered.

_***The technique Sakura used on Sasori's father was the one she used on Kankuro in the actual series**_


	56. Chiyo and Tenzou

Saburo was in stable condition- most of the poison had been cleared from his system, but there were some traces left. Sakura had taken all of the extracted poison in vials and was lead to Suna's greenhouse along with Chiyo, Sasori, and Deidara.

"Is that scroll ready for me, Tinkerbell?" Sakura asked as they descended down some flights of stairs. Deidara twitched but pulled a small scroll out from his back pouch and handed it over.

"Because of you, I was called Rapunzel for six whole months, hm! That hair better be worth it!" he growled. Sakura chuckled and tucked the scroll away.

"Don't worry. It's worth it."

Sasori and Deidara walked towards the gates to begin their mission, leaving Chiyo and Sakura to continue to the greenhouse alone. They entered the glass house and proceeded to gather the herbs they needed to make the antidote.

"I never thought Sunagakure would have such a variety of herbs." Sakura commented as she crushed some of the plants on the metal work table.

"It's rather difficult to grow them in a greenhouse, but we manage. We want as many herbs as possible even if the quantity is scarce." replied Chiyo. She glanced at the young girl beside her. She was so engrossed in her work even if it was just a stranger she was trying to save. Chiyo turned her head back to the herbs in front of her.

"I'm curious."

"What is it, Chiyo-san?"

"From what I heard from that young man, you told him to grow out his hair, then cut it all off."

Sakura gave a soft smile as she continued with her work.

"I need his hair as a medium. I want to regenerate the arm he's missing, and I needed an agglomeration of cells. Don't tell him my plans, though." she said. Chiyo turned her head to the girl with wide-eyes. Regeneration... the Chikatsu Saisei no Jutsu?! That jutsu was easily placed in the advanced section of medical techniques.

"He didn't ask you to heal him?"

"No. But the day I met him, I made him a promise. I don't think he remembers it, but I told him I would heal his arm and his eye. I'll fulfill it."

A couple of hours later, the antidote was made. Chiyo and Sakura made their way back up to the hospital, mixed the antidote with tea, and gave it to Saburo. Airi, Saburo's wife walked up to Sakura with teary eyes and a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much for saving my husband!" she exclaimed, "Whatever you want, I'll pay! Anything! We're in your debt, Sakura-san!"

Sakura waved her hands in front of her.

"It's alright, Akasuna-san." she assured, "I'm not asking for anything."

"B-But!"

"It's really alright, Akasuna-san."

Within the next hour, at her insistence, Sakura was out of the village despite it being early morning. Saburo was on his way to recovery, Airi at his side. Chiyo stared out the window of her son's hospital room, wondering. Sakura Haruno certainly was a strange girl, coming to help and leaving as soon as she came. She didn't know much about that girl, but she knew one thing for certain.

Sakura definitely was Tsunade's student.

* * *

Tenzou-san!" seventeen year old Sakura called, "What are you doing here?"

Tenzou turned around, confused, but brightened up when he saw that head of pink hair. He brought her in for a tight hug before smiling down at her.

"It's great to see you, Sakura-chan! How long has it been since I've seen you? Three, four years? You've become quite the young lady!"

Sakura grinned and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. They took a seat on a bench at the local park.

"So what are you up to in Kirigakure, Sakura-chan?" Tenzou asked. Sakura stretched out her arms and looked at the park ahead of them.

"Babysitting."

"Eh? Really?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've been here. My friend's kids, Haku and Kana, wanted to hang out with me today. I told them to play in the park for a bit while I bought some stuff, then I ran into you. What about you Tenzou-san? What are you doing here?" she questioned. Tenzou pulled out his mission scroll and peered at the contents.

"I'm supposed to meet someone named... Suiren Hoshigaki... in about half an hour. I thought it would be a good idea to walk around the village, and look who I find!" he grinned. They talked for a bit until Haku and Kana came up to Sakura.

"Nee-chan, nee-chan, look what Haku-kun caught!" Kana gushed. Haku held up a white rabbit with large, floppy ears. Sakura smiled and tousled Haku's deep black hair.

"He's very cute. Don't play with him too long, maybe he has so go somewhere. After you're done playing with him, we'll go get some ice cream, okay?"

"Okay nee-chan!" they chorused. They trotted back to the park and Sakura stood up, Tenzou following suit. A small clang rang in their ears.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, is this yours?" Tenzou questioned. He picked up a small jar filled with dried bits of... a flower?

"That must've fallen out of my back pouch. It's crushed Angel's Trumpet, a flower that serves as a powerful hallucinogen that I'm going to put in my next poison. My friend Zetsu went on an expedition up in the mountain ranges in Lightning Country and was able to get these for me." she informed. A few more words were exchanged before Haku and Kana grabbed each of Sakura's hands.

"I'll see you in a year, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded and smiled.

"Until then, Tenzou-san."

* * *

"Welcome back, Tenzou-san. You stated in your mission report that you happened to run into Sakura-chan while you were in Kiri?"

"Yes. She's doing well."

Minato nodded and shuffled through a few papers on his desk.

"So what can you gather about her so far?" questioned the Hokage.

"I assume she's a medic due to her interest in herbs and poisons. She also knows a few people in Kiri, presumably very closely. Despite being very friendly with the locals, I can tell that being in the rogue environment has changed her. I don't know if it was for better or for worse... but it suits her well." Tenzou said.

Minato sighed.

"I bet it does."


	57. Her Parent's Murderer

She received a job from a benefactor, one of the biggest ones she's ever seen. The pay was high and the objective was dangerous but well worth the money. She also had a partner for this mission. Sakura had never heard of his name before and knew nothing of his origins. All she knew that she was supposed to meet him in Kusagakure at the central market place.

Sakura was standing in the market place just wandering around and waiting for her partner to show up. She was there for about ten minutes until a hand grabbed her upper arm.

"Sakura Haruno?" a gruff voice questioned. She looked to her right to see a tall man clad in all black., save for his white hood. His hitai-ate was exposed clearly, showing off his status as a missing-nin. Sakura smiled.

"That would be me. And aren't you a little worried that you'll get caught with your hitai-ate out for everyone to see?"

The man huffed and let go of her arm.

"Of course not. Any sane person knows not to pick a fight with me."

Sakura smirk.

"And just who are you, exactly?"

His returned smirk was hidden under his mask.

"Kakuzu."

* * *

Sakura Haruno was... familiar. He, of course, had heard of this dangerously powerful rogue-for-hire. As young as she was, she was supposedly extremely efficient with her jobs. Even with that, he was sure that he heard her name somewhere before.

That aside, their target was a business man named Fumito in Takigakure. He was selling all sorts of illegal drugs all over the elemental nations. There was also a huge price on his head, and if Kakuzu and Sakura were able to end his life, they would get his bounty money along with the money the mission paid. Fumito's compound had high-ranking shinobi on every square foot in the outside property, and the amount of guards doubled on the inside.

The two stationed themselves in a tree about half a mile away at about 1 am. Even at the large distance, Fumito's mansion was still clearly visible. Sakura looked over at her partner.

"Stealth's not an option in this, I'm assuming." she sighed. Kakuzu hopped down from the tree branch, Sakura following suit.

"We could try, but that would consume too much time." he said. They walked towards the iron gates of the compound where they quickly slit the throats of the four gate keepers. Two pairs of green eyes stared at the massive thirteen foot doors, unimpressed.

"Then our plan is to walk through the front door and fuck shit up, right?" she grinned. Chakra pulsed into her fist as she took a step forward. Kakuzu cracked his neck.

"Yes."

"Great! SHANNARO!"

Sakura smashed her fist into the gate, causing it to fall forward, alerting the entire compound of their arrival. The alarms blared and dozens of guards rushed out towards them.

Headcount: approximately three hundred enemies.

Chance of beating all of them: 91%

Kakuzu took of his cloak and unleashed four beasts made of tendrils with masks for faces. He then turned to Sakura who was impressed with the enormous creatures.

"Go inside and kill him. I'll handle all the guards out here." he said. She complied easily and disappeared into thin air.

She reappeared inside the mansion. Her hands came together to form the snake seal and her jutsu, Doton: Domu, darkened her skin and gave her near-invincibility. Numerous kunai, shuriken, and senbon were thrown her way, but they bounced off her skin with a small _clang_. The ones she caught were thrown back at her enemies and were aimed for the jugular.

Her aims never missed.

Fumito's room was in the center of this gigantic mansion. All she needed to do was to incapacitate everyone here before getting to her target. Sakura smirked.

Too easy.

* * *

Kakuzu was standing near the steps of the compound, eyes gazing over the dead bodies littered on the grounds. They weren't much of a challenge, as expected. Although they were rather skilled, none of them were worth mentioning. While waiting for Sakura to come out with Fumito's dead body, a nagging feeling came back to bother him.

Sakura. Haruno. He didn't know why that name bothered him so much. He was certain that he had heard it somewhere far in the past, but he couldn't just pinpoint where. He hadn't gone on any missions with her in the past, he hadn't seen her in person, he-

Wait...

Kakuzu closed his eyes and brought a hand to his forehead, releasing a sigh.

Kami, it was _her_, wasn't it?

"Ah, what a mess. They weren't too much trouble, were they?"

Sakura walked out of the mansion with a dead Fumito over her shoulder. She was uninjured as far as as he knew. She pointed a finger towards the gaping hole of the compound's outer wall.

"Ready to go?" she asked. Kakuzu nodded and they headed off. It was still the early hours of morning and the sun had yet to peek out of the horizon. There was a comfortable silence between the two as they walked towards their destination. At 3 am, where they needed to be only stood about a mile away.

"You know what I've done to you, Sakura. Why haven't you attempted to kill me?" Kakuzu questioned suddenly. Sakura stopped walking.

"If I had met you ten years after the incident, I would've killed you without hesitation." she replied quietly, "But I learned something the year I turned sixteen. My shishou always told me stories about her past experiences in life. I didn't know why she did it, but maybe it was because she didn't want me to make the same mistakes she did."

She set the body down on the ground and turned to face him.

"You had a reason to do it, didn't you? It was a mission. Besides, even if I do kill you, it's not like they'd come back from the dead._ 'An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind' _my shishou used to say,_ 'If you truly want revenge, dig two graves. One for him, and one for yourself'._"

Kakuzu stared at her for a few moments before sighing and reaching into his cloak. He pulled out a worn book called _**The Night Circus**_and handed it to her. Sakura took it shakily before opening to look at the back cover.

_Happy Third Birthday, Sakura! Mommy and Daddy love you so much._

"This... This was the book my parents would read my every night. I couldn't... I couldn't find it back at home. These past twelve years... you've had it?" she murmured. Kakuzu nodded.

_Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno were no match for this man, Kakuzu, was it? His four monsters overpowered them, as the couple had only been able to take down two of them. They were near death and everything around them was charred and destroyed. Mebuki was cut on her abdomen and was bleeding far too quickly for her to do anything about it. About four feet way from her was a book, still in good shape._

_"I know my husband... and I will die here by y-your hands, and I know that we're strangers and to... to you, nothing more than an ob-objective for a mission... but please... if you e-ever meet our baby girl... give it to her... ple-please..."_

_Kakuzu finished both of them off with a kunai. He contemplated taking their hearts to replace the ones they destroyed, but decided not to when his eyes landed on the book. Before he left, he took it and tucked it into the recesses of his cloak. There was no harm in taking it with him._

"You actually... fulfilled their wish...?" Sakura asked incredulously. He huffed and grabbed the body off the ground and started forward.

"You have the book now, don't you? Now keep walking. I want to make it there before daybreak."

She watched him walk ahead of her and let a small smile cross her face.

"Thank you."

* * *

_**"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind."- Mahatma Gandhi**_

_**"The Night Circus" belongs to Erin Morgenstern.**_


	58. Return

"Konohagakure... huh?"

Sakura leaned leisurely on the thick bark of a tree just a mile away from the Hidden Leaf. Today, she was due back to the village. Back to duty. Back to servitude. And she couldn't say that she was particularly... excited about being re-bound as an active ninja. Being a rogue had actually been fun. She sighed, jumped down from her perch, and made way to the village.

Ibiki crossed his arms and closed his eyes. There were no available chuunin or jounin to watch the gate, so they turned to the tokubetsu jounin. Him and Anko were close to falling asleep at their posts as a warm breeze passed through.

"Ehhh? Slacking off, are we? You haven't changed a bit, sensei."

That voice...

"Well I'll be damned!" Anko exclaimed with a hearty laugh, "If it ain't the little brat! Finally, decided to come home, did ya?"

Sakura grinned and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"You know how it goes. Hokage-sama gave me a due date and here I am." Sakura replied, "How have you been, Anko-san? Have you kept watch on sensei? He had a tendency of lazing around."

"Still has."

"Excuse me, I'm right here." the aforementioned growled. Of course, that irritation only lasted a few seconds. How could he be angry? His student was back, grown up, and who knows how powerful. She had gotten about a good seven inches taller and stood at 5'3". The katana she received when she was five hung diagonally across her back, and her hair reached just above her waist and was tied with white bandages.

Not only had her appearance changed, but the way she held herself had taken an interesting turn. Even in the presence of him and Anko, the two people she had known since she was just a little girl, she hadn't relaxed. Her guard was on high alert like it would normally be if one was on a mission. Sakura's chakra was also suppressed so well that you could mistake her for a normal civilian if it weren't for her weapons and outfit that screamed 'shinobi'.

Ibiki's eyes narrowed in thought. Sakura was still the same kid he knew, yet she was a completely changed person. She turned towards him with a cheery grin.

"Sensei, I haven't seen you in five years! Are you just going to sit there or give me a hug?!"

""He won't." Anko chuckled, "He grew old and turned into a moldy prune."

Ibiki's eye twitched but he allowed himself a smile. It was good to have her back.

* * *

"Welcome back, Sakura-chan." Minato greeted with a warm smile, "How have you been these past five years? Have they gone as well as you've hoped?"

"Truthfully, it was better than I expected it to be, Hokage-sama. But I'm home now, and that's still good enough for me."

"I see." he said. Minato stood up, approached a file cabinet, and opened the bottom drawer. He pulled out a red hitai-ate, the one Sakura had given up years ago. Handing it to her, he gave her another smile.

"You know, you made it just in time for the Jounin exams. They'll start in about two months, but registration ends tomorrow. If you're interested, I'll sign you up."

Sakura nodded.

"Sure, Hokage-sama. I'll join them."

He complied and wrote her name on the roster of entries. After exchanging a few more words with him, she bowed and left the office. She had _a lot_ of explaining to do to _a lot_ of people for her sudden disappearance without so much a word. Ino for sure would give her a good yelling, followed by Naruto, and maybe even Mikoto.

But before she endured all that, she'd get situated back at her house. When she stepped in, she was relieved to see that nothing had changed. Dust had piled up on everything, but other than that, she was happy. Sakura set her stuff down in her old room and back outside.

Before anything, she'd first have to visit her parents graves.


	59. Itachi-san!

"Mebuki... Kizashi... it's been awhile. Sorry that I couldn't visit- I was out of the village these past five years." Sakura murmured. She sat cross-legged in front of her parent's graves. "I liked the life out there. It was always exciting and you weren't restricted to an affiliation. Granted, you had to watch your back 24/7. You'd guess it was a hard life, but it wasn't. I loved it."

A breeze passed, blowing Sakura's bangs to the side. She let a soft smirk grace her features before she stood up and stretched her legs.

"I'll try to visit you guys more often. I'll see you later."

She turned around to leave the cemetery and saw Itachi standing at the entrance. Her eyes lit up.

"Itachi-san! It's been so long, how have you been?" Sakura questioned cheerily. She walked up to him with that same, bright smile she gave him years ago. Itachi could only stare silently. She was back and he hoped to Kami that she was real.

"Itachi-san?"

He took a step forward and cupped her cheeks with both his hands and rested his forehead against hers.

"You have returned." he stated quietly, "I was not aware that you would be back today. Has your leave of absence finally reached it's due date?"

She nodded, unable to form any words. He stared at her for a few more seconds before finally releasing her and taking a step back.

"Come with me. Sasuke is bringing Naruto-kun over for dinner and I am sure that both them and my mother would be ecstatic to have you over." he said. Sakura nodded again, silently, and followed him to the Uchiha Compound.

"Ne, Itachi-san?"

Itachi glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes, Sakura?"

She flashed him a cute, innocent smile that nearly made his heart melt.

"Tomorrow, if you have the time, let's go to that dango shop you like so much. I promised you we'd go there together, remember?"

He didn't think she'd actually remember that promise. Itachi turned his head around and continued walking. Sakura was patient, giving him time to collect his thoughts. Suddenly, he gave a small nod, turning Sakura's smile into a wide grin.

* * *

The Uchiha Main House was filled with pleasant chatter the minutes Itachi and Sakura stepped into the house. Naruto and Mikoto's voices were easily identifiable, with inputs from Sasuke. Fugaku was probably there as well, just eating and listening silently. Itachi entered the dining room first, where his mother scolded him lightly. Well, had begun to.

"You're late, Itachi-kun! Where have you be- Is that you, Sakura-chan?!"

The food Naruto swallowed went down the wrong pipe and he choked on it quietly while Sasuke stared incredulously at his pink haired teammate in the doorway. Fugaku's lips quirked up slightly at the boy's reactions. He, of course, had already heard of her return. How? He had his ways. Mikoto jumped to her feet and brought Sakura into a tight squeeze.

"Oh my, it's been so long!" Mikoto gushed, "Sit down, sit down, have dinner with us!"

Sakura scratched her cheek sheepishly and easily complied with the giddy Uchiha. Naruto hit his chest a couple of times before he was finally able to breathe properly.

"Sakura-chan! You're back! How are you? How long have you been back? We missed you so much, dattebayo! You're also really pretty by the way, you changed so much! Say, Sakura-chan..."

Naruto was blabbing non-stop, not that anyone minded. Mikoto had her fair share of questions, as well as Sasuke. Three three were actually so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice how Itachi couldn't keep his eyes off the pink-haired shinobi. It was like he was drinking in her every laugh and smile- subtly, of course. He was sure he got away with it the entire dinner if it wasn't for the knowing smirk his father gave him when Naruto and Sakura left.

"Itachi, you may think you're hiding it well, but your mother and I aren't fools." Fugaku said, "Make a choice and act upon it before someone takes her away."

He turned and left for his quarters, leaving his eldest son with his thoughts.

* * *

"Sakura-chan, I'm so glad that you're back, dattebayo! Sasuke is too, he's just too much of an asshole to show it!" Naruto exclaimed, hugging Sakura for what seemed like the fifth time the evening. She swatted him away and laughed.

"Calm down, Naruto. I'm not leaving anytime soon."

"You better not! I know me and Sasuke left you here all alone... but trust me! There's no way we're ever separating ever again! You also have to meet this guy named Sai. He pretty cool but he's also a huge dick and keeps on calling me dickless! Sakura-chan, am I really di-"

Sakura held up a hand immediately.

"I, under any circumstance, _never_ want to find out. And I swear, if you pull down your pants, I will kill you."

He scratched the back of his sheepishly and let out an embarrassed laugh. He soon dropped her off at her house before waving and setting off to his apartment. Sakura looked in her house and let a smile cross her face. It felt emptier without the dust.

_Home._

And yet, she'd rather be back out there.


	60. Reunited

The Master gave a sinister grin as he listened to his follower's new report. Sakura Haruno was back in her village and now finally, he could take his plan into effect.

_Finally._

He relished in this amazing feeling and let out a hearty laugh. Konoha was his, Sakura would die, and there would be no one to stop him.

"Sakura and her team are on a mission as we speak." his follower continued, "Do you want us to do anything about that?"

"Take one hundred men and the two hostages and intercept them. Once you do, give the hostages the same hospitality as you did to Juugo."

* * *

Itachi sat in an old, cozy chair with his hands wrapped around a cup of green tea and a plate of Mitarashi Dango was sitting half-eaten on the table in front of him. There was a lull of jazz music filling the cafe, but he paid no attention to it. His eyes were locked to the kunoichi opposite of him who was happily enjoying her An Dango. The lighting was dim, yet he could see the soft features of her face perfectly.

"What are you staring at, Itachi-san?" she questioned. He blinked and stared her down with warm eyes.

"You've changed." _You've become more beautiful._

"Ehh, you think so? I guess I grew up, that's all." she grinned, "But enough about me, tell me about you, Itachi-san! What have you been up to since I was gone?"

"Training. Going on missions. Playing shogi." _Missing you._

Sakura pouted -which Itachi found utterly adorable- and took a bite of her dango.

"You're so boring. No girlfriends? Crushes? Omiai? Come on, Itachi-san! Haven't you found a girl you've fallen completely head over heels for?"

Itachi was appalled at the thought of pursuing any other woman other than the one before him. He had indeed been to countless omiai on his mother's accord, but none of them had interested him even in the slightest. He set his tea cup down and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Perhaps I have..." he answered slowly. Sakura's eyes brightened and she leaned over the table expectantly.

"... but I will not tell you." _that it's you, _he finished internally. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at him, causing him to chuckle quietly at her adorable face. They talked for a while and as they walked out of the cafe, a chuunin came up to them.

"Haruno Sakura-san, Hokage-sama needs you in his office." he said. Sakura nodded and turned to Itachi.

"I'll see you later then, Itachi-san!"

He inclined his head and watched her go, the tiniest of smiles on his face.

Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were brought into the Hokage's office. Minato assigned them a simple A-rank assassination mission. They were to set off in an hour and were due back in a week. As they headed to their places to pack, Kakashi took Sakura aside.

"I never got to thank you, Sakura." he said.

"For what?"

His eye crinkled.

"For finding Rin and telling her to come back."

* * *

The old Team Seven leapt from tree to tree towards their destination. Naruto was as loud and annoying as he normally was, Sasuke his receiving end this time around. They were lax and at ease, but Sakura was not.

Being without an affiliation for five years gave her some things to learn from. One was to never, ever let her guard down, even if she was in the presence of a team. If worst comes to worst, the only person you can rely on is yourself. Two, peace never lasted long when she was around. Sure, she had those nice, quiet days to herself, but countless people were after her head.

There was an explosion to their right, causing them to land on the forest floor.

Sakura sighed. It was going to be one of those days.

Immediately, it fifty or so people appeared and charged them without a word. Sasuke and Naruto were taken aback at the enemy's ferocity towards them, but attacked nonetheless. Sakura's eyes gazed over the battlefield as she dug her katana through one of their necks. These bastards were wearing the same things as the people who killed Juugo.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted over the battlefield. She turned the attention to her team and saw her sensei motionless on the ground. He shouldn't have been downed so easily, but considering her opponents...

_'Poison.'_ she grimaced inwardly. Naruto and Sasuke were drawing away from their current battles, but Sakura had leapt upwards in the midst of smoke and charred trees, trying to see if the enemy had a hostage.

"Sakura-chan! Kakashi-sensei's pulse is slowing down!"

"Take him to Sunagakure! It's the closest village to us! Keep heading Southwest and I'll meet you there!"

"Sakura! Fall back!" Sasuke called.

She blacked out his voice and pulsed chakra to her eyes to enhance her vision. She spotted the hostages instantly. One was a small girl, maybe seven years old, in a blue outfit with her dirtied navy blue hair at her hips. The second was a small boy with pitch black hair and large, frightened brown eyes. Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized the captives.

"KANA! HAKU!"

She vaulted off the tree and gave chase. Sasuke's and Naruto's voices rang after her, but she didn't care. She had to save them no matter what.


	61. Refuge

Sasuke watched as Sakura disappeared in the foliage, their attackers following after her. He scowled to himself then looked at Naruto. The blonde glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing, teme? Go after her!" he yelled. Naruto hoisted Kakashi over his shoulder and bolted towards Sunagakure. Left with no other choice, Sasuke ran off in Sakura's direction. As he ran towards the chakra signatures, sharingan ablaze, he noticed something a tad bit... disturbing. The larger signatures were dropping out of his senses quickly, but the two significantly smaller ones were off to the side, squirming slightly but unwavering.

He arrived to where everyone had gathered, but had to hold back a gasp.

He was an Uchiha- strong, proud, and indifferent to the sight of blood... but it was hard to keep your face blank when you were face to face with a massacre of at least a hundred people and someone you know standing in the midst of it, cleaning blood off her arms.

"Oh, you're here, Sasuke." she said. He quickly regained his composure and gave her a bored stare.

"The dobe's taking Kakashi-sensei to Suna. I came back here to help, but I see that you've already sorted it out." he replied smoothly. Sakura flashed him a sheepish grin and walked to the two hostages who were blindfolded and untied them.

"Nee-chan!" the girl exclaimed, jumping on Sakura, "Sakura-nee-chan! You're here!"

The boy followed suit and jumped on the kunoichi, a wide smile on his face. She hoisted the boy onto her shoulders and carried the girl in her arms. Sasuke blinked in realization.

"They're important to you."

"Mm. I've known them since they've been born and their dads are good friends of mine. Besides, I couldn't leave these cuties even if I tried." she explained. Uneasiness slithered through the back of Sasuke's mind as the four of them headed off to Suna. Friends? These friends sounded dangerous if their children were worth kidnapping.

Sunagakure was in their sights within forty-five minutes. There, Sasuke received his second shock of the day, but concealed it well this time. The guards at the gates were familiar with Sakura and let her in immediately, addressing her with a polite 'Welcome back, Sakura-sensei'.

Sasuke glanced at his teammate from the corner of his eye.

These past five years... just what had she been up to?

* * *

Naruto was panicking. A lot. He bolted as fast as he could to Suna and to the hospital where the personnel carried his sensei into the emergency room. After a quick examination and deducing that it was the cause of a poison, they called over a short red head to the room. Kakashi's blood was drawn and sent to the lab to be examined. The red head in the room then headed out and met with Naruto who was waiting anxiously in the hallway.

"Naruto... Namikaze, correct?" the man asked. Naruto nodded. "My name is Sasori Akasuna, one of the hospital's poison experts. We're running a couple of tests on his blood right now to make sure we haven't missed anything. As far as I can tell, the poison contains mainly hemlock and aconite, highly toxic plants. I'll be able to make an antidote, but it will take a few hours. For now, you're sensei will be fine. Uncomfortable, but fine nonetheless."

The blonde let out a sigh of relief. Sakura, Sasuke, Haku, and Kana walked down the hallway to where the two were standing.

"Hey, old man!" Sakura greeted as she waved, "Are you the one checking up on Kakashi-sensei?"

"Ah, so he's your sensei." Sasori mused. He earned strange looks from both Sasuke and Naruto. "The poison, as I have told Namikaze-san, contains hemlock and aconite. I'm sure you've heard of those plants before."

"Of course I have."

She turned to the medics waiting near the doorway.

"Maintain his airway, obtain IV access airway, and assist with ventilation as needed. While doing that, lavage his organs with water mixed with iodine. It should clean out some of his system and give us enough time to make the antidote." she ordered. Her attention then turned to her teammates.

"Naruto, Sasuke, I'll go with the old man down to the greenhouse. Watch Kana and Haku for me, would you?"

Sakura walked down the hallway beside Sasori ax the rest of Team Seven watched with dumbfounded looks. Sasuke looked at the one the medics.

"You take orders from Sakura?" he questioned incredulously. One of the medics beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

"Haruno-sensei has helped with the hospital numerous times over the past two years and we owe a lot to her wonderful skills! She has saved many lives and has taught classes to other medics of this hospital. She's also been taught by one of the great sannin so we know that everything she's teaching us is correct and better way!" he explained.

_'There's another sannin besides Jiraiya and Orochimaru?!'_

* * *

"I didn't expect you to return to your village. Or that you'd be teammates with an Uchiha and the Yondaime Hokage's son. You've got some pretty powerful people on your hands and it makes me wonder why you've left your village in the first place." Sasori said. Both him and Sakura were at the metal greenhouse table creating an antidote. Sakura shrugged.

"I may have friends in high places, but that meant nothing to me when I had a goal to grow stronger. I couldn't have them hold me back." she replied with a smile. It sent a small shiver down his spine.

"Anyway, can I have a minute? I need to send some messages."

"Go ahead."

Sakura exited the greenhouse and summoned three slugs. She quickly wrote down three separate notes. One slug was transported to Kirigakure, one was sent to Yugakure, and the last was assigned the bounty station nearest to Amegakure.

* * *

"The hostages were taken and all the men sent were slaughtered, sir!" a follower reported. The Master grinned toothily.

"Then it all has gone according to plan. Set up the next phase!"


	62. Protection

It was day four of Kakashi's stay at Suna's Hospital and he was ready to exercise his chakra freely. Within those four days, Gaara had paid Naruto and Sasuke multiple visits and had spent most of his time with them. Much to Naruto and Sasuke's shock, Sakura had been spending much of her time with Sasori while watching over Kana and Haku. Sasuke once asked Sasori how he came to know their teammate. A thoughtful twinkle shone in the red head's eyes as he smirked.

"Drapturns were in season."

Sasuke, having absolutely no idea what that meant, resorted to asking around the village to find out just what she had been up to these last few years.

"My, she's a saint!"

"She's very kind- she cured my son of his illness and we owe everything to her!"

"I heard that she's really scary. Rumor has it that Suna ran short of interrogators on a day she was visiting and she offered to take the position for the time being. She wouldn't be in a room for more than five minutes before the captives started screaming and crying."

"She's a crazy one, I tell ya'. She's got the strength of a thousand men. If ya' value yer life, ya wouldn't cross 'er."

Sasuke carefully gathered his thoughts and met the rest of his team at the village gates. Kana and Haku took hold of each of Sakura's hands as she conversed casually with Sasori. Naruto waved Sasuke over and leaned in close.

"Isn't it kinda weird that Sakura's so friendly with all these people?"

"It is."

Team Seven left for Konoha half an hour later.

* * *

"I'll turn in the report." Sakura said as they stepped foot through the gates of Konoha two days later, "Kana, Haku, and I'll meet you at Ichiraku's. Does that sound good?"

"Of course it does, Sakura-chan! We'll see you later, then!" Naruto exclaimed giddily. As the rest of Team 7 watched as her and the two kids walked off through the crowd, Kakashi turned to the two.

"You two said that you needed to speak with me once we got back. What's the problem, boys?"

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances.

"Who's the third sannin, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Tsunade Senju. She was on a genin team with Orochimaru-sama and Jiraiya-sama. The rumor was that they were extremely close until one day she up and left Konoha. No one has seen her, heard from her, or have known her whereabouts for over two decades. I know you two normally don't ask about this kind of stuff. What's with the change of interest?" Kakashi questioned airily. He had heard from the hospital staff that Sakura was a competent medic they'd take orders from despite her young age.

He also had heard that they listened to her so intently because Sakura's wide range of knowledge was the direct outcome of Tsunade's tutelage.

How Sakura had come across such a person, Kakashi had no idea. But then again, this was _Sakura_ he was talking about. The person who got the best of him when she was only twelve years old. Suddenly, the gates opened up from behind them and two men walked through. Both were tall with huge muscles. Their headbands proudly displayed the symbol of the Hidden Mist and the enormous swords on their backs proved their standing in the infamous Seven Swordsman of the Mist.

"Those guys..." Naruto whispered. The blue one surveyed his surroundings before his eyes landed on the three remaining members of Team Seven. The blue one made way towards them first, the one with the bottom half of his face wrapped following behind.

"Sorry to bother you," the blue one greeted, scratching the back of his head, "But do you know where we could find Sakura Haruno?"

"What's it to you?" Naruto asked immediately, narrowing his eyes. The stranger raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. Kakashi chuckled sheepishly and pulled Naruto backwards.

"I apologize for his... behavior... but he means why do you want with her. We're rather close friends of hers and we just want to know who's asking." he explained. The man nodded once in understanding.

"We're friends of Sakura as well. My name's Kisame Hoshigaki and this is a friend of mine, Zabuza Momochi. Sakura sent us a slug telling us to come to Konoha immediately. Would you tell us where she is?"

Zabuza just looked on with hard eyes.

"She's at the Hokage's office." Sasuke answered quietly. Kisame inclined his head in thanks. Sasuke watched as the two walked away, his eyes burning red with the sharingan. Once they were out of hearing range, Naruto exploded.

"Just WHO is Sakura-chan making friends with, DATTEBAYO?!"


	63. Repair

"Papa!" Kana and Haku shouted simultaneously. Sakura watched the heart warming scene as the kids were reunited with their parents. They were outside the Hokage's office on the ground floor when Kisame and Zabuza waltzed up to them, fully expecting their children to be safe and unscathed- which they were. Kisame tousled Sakura's hair.

"We really can't thank you enough, pint-size. Honestly, what would we have done without you?" he grinned.

"Thank you so much, Sakura." said Zabuza, "But the men that took them..."

Sakura reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper written with neat, narrow handwriting. She handed it over to them.

"This has the full description of the select group of people who kidnapped them. The ones who did it are already dead, but I'm sure that there are more of them. I've seen some of them in Kiri after an... unpleasant... experience, so you may have to look into that." she informed.

The three of them talked for a few more minutes with Haku and Kana in their father's arms before Sakura walked them over to gates. They would have stayed the night, but they left short notice and rushed over to make sure their kids were alright.

"Nee-san, nee-san, we'll send you lotsa letters when we get back!" Kana exclaimed as she hugged Sakura's leg. She smiled down at the girl.

"I'll be sure to reply."

They waved to her and walked off. Sakura sighed in content before walking back into the village to find something to do. Not even five minutes into her calm silence, Naruto popped into her bubble with a wide, shimmering grin.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! Me, Kakashi-sensei, and teme were thinking of going to Ichiraku's for dinner and we want you to come along, dattebayo! Sai's also gonna be there and he's this really assholey kinda guy but I guess you two'll get along. So whattya say, Sakura-chan? You wanna come?"

She couldn't find the heart to refuse him.

"Fine, Naruto." she smiled, "Let's go?"

He hooked his arm with hers and tugged her down the street.

"Yup! Let's go!"

* * *

An hours worth of talking later, just as the five left the restaurant, the unexpected showed up.

"Sa-ku-ra-chan!"

An explosion of red nearly tackled Sakura to the ground. It was a stone shinobi, the rest of Team Seven discovered once the dust cleared. He wore the standard uniform: a shirt with one long sleeve and one not with a tan flak jacket. His shoulder length blonde hair was tied back in a short ponytail with a long slice of hair covering the left side of his face. Currently, he had Sakura trapped in a bone-crushing hug.

"Wha-wha-wha?! Who the HELL are you?!" sputtered Naruto as he pointed at the stranger accusingly. Without letting go of his captive, the man grinned.

"The name's Deidara, yeah."

Naruto looked at Sakura and waved his hands at Deidara incredulously.

"I met him a few years back and we've been friends since." she explained. She couldn't keep a smile off her face once he finally let go and slung an arm over her shoulders. "But I didn't know you were coming. What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I missed you, hm."

"I saw you a few months ago!"

"But still~"

Team Seven could only watch with wide eyes. Deidara then proceeded to take Sakura down the street with Naruto yelling after them.

"OI! SAKURA-CHAN! WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR CHOICE OF FRIENDS RIGHT. NOW. DA. TTE. BA. YO!"

When they disappeared out of sight, Kakashi put a finger on his chin in thought.

"Just a friend? The seem more like a couple to me." he thought aloud. Naruto certainly didn't like such a notion and protested loudly.

"They seem very close." Sai mused. It only made Naruto whine louder, if that was even possible. Sasuke smirked from the sidelines.

"Poor aniki. I wonder how upset he'll be."

* * *

"You're home late, otouto." Itachi noted from his place at the dining table. A thick book was in his hands and thin framed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. Sasuke shrugged and took a seat across from his older brother.

"An Iwa-nin appeared after our team dinner at Ichiraku's."

"Hostile?"

"Friendly."

Itachi looked back down to his book and flipped a page. A mischievous glint flashed in Sasuke's eyes.

"But you know, aniki, he had some treaty business with the Hokage." he said nonchalantly, "But he seemed like he wasn't doing his job.

"Oh?" Itachi remarked. He didn't look up from his book.

"He seemed pretty clingy with Sakura. It almost seemed like they were a couple."

Sasuke watched as Itachi slowly closed his book and set it on the coffee table in front of him. He then proceeded to take off his glasses and set them beside the book. His gaze was locked on his little brother as a chilling air filled the room.

"Oh? How so?" Itachi inquired softly.

"They were close, pretty touchy-feely. He looked like he couldn't take his hands off her."

After he blinked, his older was no longer in sight.

* * *

Deidara and Sakura eventually ended up in the basement of Sakura's home. It was a wide space of layered, polished wood and was void of any dust or clutter. Off in the corner were buckets of black ink and a bundle of extremely large paint brushes. On the wall was a paper with a diagram drawn on it.

"You're pretty artsy, aren't you, tinkerbell?"

He shrugged.

"Sure. Why, un? You need me to re-draw that symbol thingy?"

"Kinda. I do need you to help me redraw that symbol, but I need the diagram to cover every inch of the floor and for it to reach about half-way up the wall. Could you help me?" she asked, gesturing to the room before them. Deidara rolled up his one sleeve and gave her two thumbs up.

"No problemo, hm. I got you."

Two hours later, the diagram was drawn and dried. The two were seated on the stairs, staring at their work as they sipped some lemonade.

"Now I'm going to have you take off your shirt and be put in an induced coma for a few days with you in the center of that." she deadpanned. Deidara nearly spit out his drink.

"W-WHAT?!"

She turned to look him straight in the eye.

"Do you trust me?" she questioned. After calming down a bit, he eventually sighed.

"... Yeah, un. I'll do it."

Deidara and Sakura weren't seen for three days.

On the fourth day, Deidara pried open his eyes and kept his eyes glued to the ceiling. He remembered that he was in Sakura's house, but what-

_Wait._

He shot up in a sitting position and pulled aside his bangs.

He could... see...

Deidara then gripped his right arm and felt nothing but smooth skin. It was pale, but it was his nonetheless.

Sakura healed him.

He stood on wobbly legs and looked around to express his utmost gratitude to her, but found her slumped against the wall, sleeping peacefully. He smiled and lifted her into his arms and brought her out of the basement. It took him a while, but he finally found her room on the second floor. Tucking her in her bed, he made sure she was comfortable before preparing to take his leave.

_'Maybe she has a spare shirt lying around, un?'_

Deidara poked around her house for a few minutes before the doorbell rang. He walked over to the door and pulled it open.

Blue clashed with sharingan red.


	64. Some Misleading Occurrences

For three days he searched for her in every nook and cranny of Konoha, but she was no where to be seen. There wasn't even a trace of any Iwagakure shinobi around the village. Finally, around his fourth day of searching, he felt her chakra signature at her house. That was odd. It wasn't there before. But his relief soon turned into utter annoyance when he detected a chakra signature he had never felt before. In her house. He quickly made his way over, stepped to her porch, and rang the doorbell.

He definitely was not expecting a shirtless man to answer the door.

"Oh. Hey." Deidara greeted, "If you're looking for Sakura-chan, she's not available right now, un. She's really tired and sleeping up in her room, hm. I guess I tired her out more than I'd like."

Itachi's eye twitched as numerous_ inappropriate_ scenarios ran unwillingly through his head.

"What what, pray tell, where you two doing?" he questioned. He kept his voice calm and his face expressionless, but Deidara knew better. An absolutely predatory grin grew on his face as he leaned against the door frame.

"I'm not someone to tell things like that, you know. It came as a surprise to me, un. When she asked me to do it, I just couldn't refuse. She's already done so much for me, hm."

Itachi's sharingan started to spin dangerously.

"But whatever. I'm going to check to see if she's okay- did you know that she collapsed because she was _absolutely exhausted_, un?" he mentioned carelessly, waving his hand around like it was nothing, "Who would've known she would do something like that for me, though? Her skills have improved greatly over the ye-"

Itachi lunged.

* * *

Sakura pried her eyes open when she heard something break from downstairs. She groaned and pushed her covers off of her. How long had she been asleep? Two, three hours? Deidara probably moved her to her bed half an hour ago.

_CRASH_

She sighed and got out of bed. Dragging her feet over to the railing, she peered over groggily. Itachi. And Deidara. Fighting. In her house... Goddammit.

"Oi! Tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum! Stop messing up my house!" she shouted. Itachi halted his actions immediately and stood up from the floor. He acknowledged Sakura with a small nod.

"Good morning, Sakura-san. Did you sleep well?"

Deidara heaved himself up from his spot on the ground and rubbed his swollen cheek and bruised ribs.

"Asshole!" he hissed. "The hell did you attack me for, un?!"

Sakura walked down the stairs before another fight could erupt. To make sure they both listened to her, she whacked them both upside the head and took a seat on the couch. She directed Deidara to the basement where his shirt should be, and when he was gone for the meantime, she glared directly at Itachi.

"I didn't expect you to pick a fight with anyone, Itachi-san. What the hell was that about?"

He looked to the side.

"I-"

"Sakura-chan~! I'm taking my leave, un! I'll meet you tomorrow in front of the Hokage's office at nine am!" Deidara exclaimed. He waved at her enthusiastically before walking out the door. After giving him her customary smile, she looked back at Itachi. But he wasn't looking at her. He was glaring at the now closed door.

"Do you have something against Deidara, Itachi-san?" she questioned.

"Deidara..." he mused to himself, "What is he to you?"

"He's just a friend-"

"Why was he here for three days and what were you two doing?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" she pouted, "It's real simple, Itachi-san. He was missing an eye and an arm, so I healed him. The jutsu I used on him took three whole days to complete, and when I finished, I passed out from chakra exhaustion. My basement is still covered in the seals."

Itachi was silent. He blinked a few times as he processed every word that came out of her mouth. When he finally realized he had just been played by that Deidara, he growled. Sakura saw this and laughed heartily, punching Itachi playfully on the shoulder, catching him completely off guard.

"Deidara makes it his hobby to piss people off, so don't take it to heart." she grinned. Seeing her cheerful expression caused Itachi's own to soften and sigh. He took a step forward and bent down to touch noses with Sakura. She blinked and sat still, not knowing what to do.

"Let me make myself clear, Sakura." he said, his voice intimidating, "I intend to pursue you and I will not give you up to anyone else. Do you follow?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes wide. Itachi stood up and smirked.

"Good. Now that you understand my intentions, I shall take my leave. Go return to bed and get some rest. I will come back later to cook you dinner."

Itachi inclined his head and took his leave. Sakura stared at the door for a couple of seconds before her face exploded red.

* * *

Sakura was nestled comfortably in her bed. Her face was smooshed against her fluffy white pillow and her covers were kicked aside, exposing her legs to the slightly chilly air. The unoccupied side of her bed dipped as a sigh was heard.

"It must be pretty urgent for you to call me all the way from the bounty station near Ame." a deep voice commented. She didn't open her eyes as she shifted slightly.

"Yeah it was." she murmured groggily, "Make it quick, please. I dunno how much longer I can stay 'wake like this..."

"Alright. The information didn't come up in copious amounts, but it should suffice. The people who attacked you and your just a few days ago work for this head mastermind. No one knows his true identity, but he's ruthless, maniacal, and a bit of a sadist. He's originally from Konoha, had previously worked under Danzo Shimura, and has a spy in the village at this very second. I don't know the identity of the spy either." he explained, "And that's all I have gathered. Are you satisfied?"

"Mm. Thanks 'Kuzu-san. Help yourself to whatever ya' want downstairs. There's food, a spare room, so ya' know, knock yourself out..."

Sakura went back to sleep and Kakuzu let himself out of her room, making sure to close the door behind him. Normally, he'd ask for payment for such information, but he supposed that the food and the spare room was payment enough. He sighed again.

_'I must be growing soft.'_


	65. Just a Day About Konoha

Kakuzu was gone by the time Sakura woke up six hours later. She expected him to only stay a few hours, considering that he was a missing-nin wanted in every nation. There was no sign of him ever being in her house besides the latest edition of the International Bingo Book and a small note on her kitchen counter.

_If more information comes my way, I'll send a summons._

Her lips quirked up at that before she tucked the note away and flipped through the bingo book. After scanning through various unfamiliar faces, she paused at the back of the book where the top ten shinobi were listed. The bounty on her head had increased by ten million ryo, probably due to the assassination mission she completed right before returning to Konoha. That officially made her _a hundred seven million ryo_, just five million ryo behind Kakuzu himself, the highest priced shinobi. She smiled to herself. It was a wonder how Kakuzu had not even tried to kill her for her bounty.

She looked up at the clock. 8:45 am. She might as well go and meet up with Deidara in front of the Hokage's office.

Sakura set the book down on the counter top and took her leave. As she walked to her destination, she looked at the life she has missed out on for the last five years. All the the people, shinobi and civilians alike, were relaxed and jovial. Sakura couldn't really remember the time when she acted like all the people in Konoha.

When she was out in the world as a shinobi without a true affiliation, there wasn't one time where she was able to drop her guard. The world she was a part of was harsh and cut down anyone that was too weak to keep up with it. She was constantly traveling from village to village. If you stayed in one place for too long, bounty hunters would find you quicker. During those five years, Sakura had gained some habits that would probably be unnatural for a normal shinobi.

For one, her chakra was always suppressed to the point where anyone could mistake her for a normal civilian. Doing this was like second nature now, as she had to do this pretty much every day. Another was that her guard was always up and that not even being in the company of known allies could make her relax. Lastly, there were her footsteps. No matter what she was walking on, she was absolutely silent. She actually had to _try_ to make sound when she walked.

A few minutes later, she met up with a grinning Deidara who waved her over. His bangs were pushed to the side, revealing his newly inserted gray eye.

"How's that eye? To your liking?" she asked. If it were possibly, Deidara's grin grew wider.

"Are you kidding me, Sakura-chan? This is amazing, un!" he exclaimed, "Being able to see like this after so long..."

His eyes softened.

"There aren't any words to describe how thankful I am... And I feel that no matter what I do I can never fully repay what you've done for me, hm. Thank you so much, Sakura-chan. If you need anything, absolutely anything, come to me, alright?"

Sakura smiled.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Tinkerbell."

He spoke to her for a little longer before he had to bid her goodbye. But just before he went, Sakura gave him a slip of paper with a description on it. If he would see anyone who matched or had heard anything about them, he would quickly inform her. She walked him to the gates to send him off and met up with Ibiki once more, who had another grudging shift at the gates. When Deidara's form disappeared in the distance, Ibiki regarded his old student with an amused gaze.

"Deidara of Iwa? I have to say, you've gotten an impressive ally on your side. I heard that it's hard to get him to listen to what you have to say."

"I was fourteen when I met him, so I guess that made it easier."

She took the empty seat next to Ibiki and propped her feet up on the checkpoint table. She stretched her arms and yawned before sighing. Ibiki raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You're just going sit around here?"

"Mou, you act like I'm not allowed to hang around my elderly sensei." she pouted. His eye twitched as he crossed his arms.

"It's nice to know that you've kept your cheeky attitude, brat."

She laughed.

"I missed you too, sensei."

It was strange to see her like this, he had to admit. As he listened to her talk, he compared the her now to how she was way back when he first met her thirteen years ago. Same smile, same enthusiasm, same little girl that he knew back then.

"So, what do you think about the jounin exams? You think you'll pass?"

Sakura smiled happily.

"I don't think I'll pass, I _know_ I'll pass." she chirped.

"Oh my, _**someone's confident**_."

Ibiki whipped his head around. Right in front of the checkpoint station was a man he had never seen before. His was half white, half black with green hair and shocking yellow eyes. Not only was the stranger's appearance startling, but Ibiki didn't even_ notice_ him appear.

"Hi, Zetsu-san!" she greeted, "What brings you to Konoha?"

"_**I heard that you were back**__,_ and I have something you might be interested in."

Sakura nodded got up from her seat and walked over to Zetsu.

"I'll catch up with you later, alright, sensei?"

She waved at him before walking with Zetsu to the greenhouse. Ibiki was astounded. Not only did she have Deidara of Iwa at her back, but this 'Zetsu' he was sure was more powerful than he looked. He sighed. He wasn't sure how he felt about her connections.

* * *

Itachi was once again wandering about Konoha, trying to locate one Sakura Haruno. He really had to keep tabs on the woman- he could never seem to find her when he wanted. Soon, he located her at the greenhouse with a strangely colored man. As he walked closer, he heard snippets of a conversation that wasn't meant for his ears.

"... is it really helping? _**It better be because I'll be extremely pissed if you start fucking dying on me.**_"

"Don't worry about it Zetsu-san. Really. I've been controlling it for almost a decade now and I've had almost no incidents."

"Almost?"

"Almost."

"I don't want you _**suffering more than you should, Sakura.**_ You know this could kill you." Zetsu sighed.

"I'm_ fine_. I know that I'm not in the best condition I could've been in, but I couldn't control what happened on that mission. Please don't worry about me, I'll be okay."

Itachi's eyebrows furrowed.


	66. Jounin Exams: Start!

Itachi slid open the glass door fully and met the warm, humid air of the greenhouse. Sakura looked up from mixing a strange orange liquid over a small flame. When he caught her gaze, she murmured something to the stranger before striding over to meet him by the entrance. They took a step outside, closing the door behind them.

"Good afternoon, Itachi-san! What can I do for you?" she asked. He held up a bento wrapped in a cloth branded with his clan symbol.

"Lunch, if you haven't had some already."

Sakura stared at it for a long while before slowly taking it. She looked up at him with confusion.

"You took time out of your day to make me lunch?"

Itachi smiled softly.

"I meant every word yesterday, Sakura. My intentions are true and I will do everything in my power for you to believe every word that I say." he said. He took her hands and placed the bento in them before flashing her another small smile, "I have a mission in a couple of hours, and I'm afraid I will not be able to see you until afterwards. I wish you luck on the exams."

He turned and walked away before he could see Sakura's cheeks dust a bright red. She returned to her station in the greenhouse with Zetsu's teasing gaze to greet her.

"How adorable. _**Your boyfriend made you lunch**_."

She glared at him.

"He's not my boyfriend!" she snapped, face growing even more red. Zetsu chuckled and continued working on the poisons with a smug look on his face. Sakura puffed out her cheeks, like she had done so many times in her younger years, and also continued working on the poisons.

"Next time I visit you, I'm burning your petunias to the ground." she muttered.

Unbeknownst to the two in the greenhouse, Sasuke and Naruto were just a ways away, staring at her in confusion.

"Another one of those weird friends of hers." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head, "She was only gone for five years, right, teme? How did she find all these people? First there was that blue shark and the masked guy, then she disappears with that one blonde for three days, and now she's making poisons with some dude who's half plant!"

"Not only that, but the shinobi you just mentioned weren't just any random shinobi. They're dangerously powerful and well known."

"That makes it even more weird!" exclaimed Naruto. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed as he looked down in thought.

"Maybe it isn't weird."

"Hah?! What are yo-"

Sasuke cast a gleaming glance sideways, effectively shutting Naruto up.

"Maybe we're just missing something."

* * *

It wasn't long before the first day of the Jounin Exams rolled around. A total of thirty-four people were competing and were standing before the Hokage about three miles away from Konoha. A fifteen meter tall stone wall stood between them and the exam with a large iron door the only way inside. As Sakura stepped through the iron door, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. There were several entrances that opened to below the ground, dark and gaping.

"Good morning, everyone." Minato greeted with a smiles, eyes sweeping across the group of competitors, "And welcome to the first part of the Jounin Exams. Your task is relatively easy. Navigate through the underground maze and be wary of any traps or enemies you may encounter. Everyone please stand in front of an entrance- there's enough for everybody."

Sakura slipped on her gloves and thought about everything she knew about this particular test. Every year, the Jounin Exams were changed so that you could never predict what would happen nor the outcome. But in her research, there was a common thread that not many noticed. The first part always tested your quick thinking and your ability to get out of an unexpected situation.

Sakura was confident that nothing would surprise her in this portion.

"You may begin." Minato said, "Good luck."

She jumped through the entrance and landed in a torch-lit hallway. Looking up, she saw the entrance close. Sakura turned her eyes back to what lay ahead of her and saw explosive tags, tips of spike projectiles, and the faint glint of a couple of trip wires. Behind her was a wall covered in seals.

"No way but forward, huh..."

At a walking pace, she journeyed forward, ripping the explosive tags off the walls and in half before the could activate, ducking and stepping over tripwires, and easily avoiding every weapon that was shot her way. At the end of the hallway were three other hallways she had to choose from. She took the leftmost one.

It annoyed her a little bit that she couldn't sense a single chakra signature in any direction and that even more trip wires, explosive tags, and projectiles were in front of her. As if to add to her irritation, the next four hallways were set up the exact same way. At the fifth hallway, four shinobi with no faces attacked her.

She ripped out the throats of two of them, smashed her fist into one of their chests, and snapped the neck of the last.

She raised her left arm, that was dripping with blood, and brought if to her lips. She grinned at the taste. It wasn't blood.

"So what is the purpose of the genjutsu I was put in, I wonder..." she mumbled to herself, "If there's no exit, no end, and enemies with no faces..."

Sakura looked over her shoulder and saw three more shinobi running towards her.

_Then this genjutsu is the one Konan-san told about weeks ago._

Before her attackers could get to her, she unsheathed her katana and stabbed herself in the heart.

* * *

Sakura's head shot up and she found herself at the iron door she had passed through before taking the exam. The other competitors were lined up beside her, heads hanging down and eyes glossed over. She guessed that they were still trapped in the genjutsu.

"Sakura-chan...?"

Minato and the handful of Jounin that came to oversee the exams were staring at her with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"You... the fastest time it took for someone to complete the first part of any of the Jounin Exams was forty-five minutes."

...

"You only took _fifteen_."

Ibiki and Anko, who were amongst the group of spectators, shared a knowing glance while incredulous murmurs ran through the rest. Ibiki was worried. Sakura had indeed grown in her abilities, but to what extent? At the strength this eighteen year old was showing now, the council might deem her as a possible threat to Konoha.

Just like they had done to Tsunade.


	67. The In-Between Period

Word had spread quickly about the contestant that plowed through the first portion of the Jounin Exams like it was nothing more than a child's game. When Naruto had caught wind of it, he immediately stopped what he was doing and confronted Sakura on her front porch.

"Sakura-chan! My tou-san told me that you were the one who completed the test in fifteen minutes! Is that true?!"

She nodded.

"Really?! You're so cool, dattebayo! When I took the test, it took me an hour and a half and teme took fifty minutes! You really need to tell me how you did that!" he exclaimed. Naruto looked at her expectantly with shining blue eyes. She tried to resist his puppy stare, but she relented.

"Alright, alright." she sighed, "Come in, I just made some cake."

Sakura stepped aside and let him in. Once Naruto stepped through the threshold, he looked around the two-story house in wonder. Just then, he realized that he never once had been in her house when they were younger, and after a few moments of looking around, he was kind of glad that this was his first time here.

The house was painfully empty. There were couches, chairs, tables, and a TV as well as a fully stocked kitchen, but it was void of any sort of personality. The furniture was gray and the walls were white. There were no pictures at all, and really, this place looked more like a hotel room then a normal home. Sakura was cutting a delectable piece of chocolate cake in the kitchen.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked as she placed a slice of cake in front of him.

"I wanna know how you figured out that test so fast! Tou-san said this year it was a genjutsu that you had to... die... in, and he was sure that it would take a long time for everyone to figure out. You didn't let them kill you, right?"

"Of course not." Sakura said, popping a piece of dessert in her mouth. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

"I killed myself."

He choked. Before he could send her his barrage of concerned questions, she held up her hand and explained herself.

"Listen first, Naruto." she said, "When I was a rogue for five years, I did plenty of jobs for Amegakure. There, I was able to pick up a couple of techniques from the locals. One of them specifically was the genjutsu used in the exam, _Daaku Yuuyo_. The only way to dispel is was to die, so I did it."

Naruto grew silent.

"... Oi... Sakura-chan?"

She looked up.

"What is it?"

"What _happened_ to you?"

She sighed softly and averted her eyes. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of the door opening was a welcome distraction. Both Naruto and Sakura stood and walked to the living room.

"More people, Sakura-chan?! Who the hell is this one?!" he shouted, pointing towards the doorway, "And why is he not wearing a shirt?!"

"Like that's your fucking business, blonde and bitchy." the stranger snarked, carelessly tossing his pack onto the couch. Naruto growled.

"I don't need the both of you scrappin' in my house, you got that? I already had to deal with another fight not too long ago." Sakura warned, glaring at the two. The stranger raised his hands up defensively.

"Alright, alright, chill. I'll leave Little Miss Sunshine alone."

"Hidan."

"I'm done!"

Hidan met Naruto's angry stare with his own arrogant eyes, causing fury to bubble up in the younger man's stomach. Sakura smacked the back of Hidan's head before looking at Naruto apologetically.

"Sorry about him. He's always this rude."

"Not always." he pouted.

"Yes, you are. Remember what happened when that guy accidentally bumped into you on the street? Even Mr. Cosmopolitan thought you were rude."

Hidan scoffed.

"That fucking fruitcake always thinks I'm doing something wrong, seriously."

Naruto, for once, was silently observing from the sidelines. He didn't like this guy all too much, which was understandable, but he was a good friend to Sakura and that was all that mattered. But there was an ache of familiarity at the back of his mind. Hidan... he was sure he had heard that name and seen that face somewhere before.

"Naruto, want some more cake?" Sakura asked, directing the attention to the kitchen.

"Sure, Sakura-chan!"

"Yo, blondie. What's up with those whiskers? You got an animal fetish some shit like that?"

Naruto _really_ didn't like this guy.

* * *

Jiraiya and Orochimaru were on their way to the Hokage's office with a peculiar pair of visitors beside them. Tsunade and her apprentice Shizune had come to Konoha on a plea from the Hokage. The village was in a day spell in medics and they needed someone new to train new medics and retrain the old ones.

Who better to ask for help than the renowned Slug Queen herself?

Both Jiraiya and Orochimaru were at a loss for words. It had been over twenty years since they had last saw her, and still looked as young and beautiful as they remembered. They had been looking for her for so long, yet they couldn't bring themselves to speak with her.

Tsunade herself wasn't all that ecstatic being back in her old village. She left for a reason and she persistently told herself she wouldn't be back for years to come. Yet here she was with the people she never thought she'd see again.

The group of four entered the Hokage's office to see the heads of both the Hyuuga and the Uchiha; Hiashi and Fugaku. A cluster of Jounin were standing in the office as well, Kakashi being amongst those Jounin. Beside him was Yamato, and ANBU level Jounin who had just returned from a six month long mission.

Minato smiled at the new arrivals.

"Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san. Thank you for agreeing to come to the village on such short notice." he greeted.

The rest of the meeting was boring as they all should have predicted. Tsunade would only stay for as long as she was needed for, which was an estimated two weeks to a month, and then she would go back to being a rogue with no trace for them to follow. Jiraiya and Orochimaru didn't know how to think about that.

Two hours later, the meeting was dismissed and everyone was free to return to their duties. They were about to leave until they heard Yamato's surprised exclamation from his conversation with Kakashi.

"Eh?! Sakura-chan returned to the village two months ago?!"

Tsunade and Shizune quickly paused their steps to look at the Jounin in surprise. Fugaku took note of the reaction and safely tucked that piece of information away.

"You know Sakura Haruno?" Kakashi asked. He was unaware of the attention suddenly placed on both him and his colleague as they walked down the hallway.

"It was hard no to. She stuck to Ibiki-san when she was younger so pretty much anyone who was a Jounin or ANBU over ten years ago had heard her name at least once."

"ANBU too?" Kakashi mused, "I thought only the Jounin knew who she was."

"Well she did make an effort to make friends with everyone she came across. Maybe I'll pay her a visit."

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade.

"Would you like us to show you to the hospital?" he offered. She waved her hand around nonchalantly and continued down the hallway.

"I still know where it is."

Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak. There was so much he wanted to say, but he kept it in and let out a tired sigh.

"Maybe I'll see you later, then?"

"Who knows. I'll be busy."

He watched her disappeared down the corridor. Maybe... Maybe he should listen to what Sakura had told him all those years ago when they had first met.

Chasing after this memory might be a waste of time after all. She couldn't be that same person from twenty years before.

* * *

"So that's how it is." Sakura said after hearing the information Hidan had relayed to her after Naruto had taken his leave, "That would explain all the occurrences. But do you know who could be leading this organization?"

Hidan shook his head.

"Nope. Unfortunately. But I've confirmed that the organization that killed your friend and kidnapped those two brats from Kirigakure are brimming with shitty intentions. Definitely full of people worth sacrificing to Jashin-sama." he said. Sakura rubbed the back of her neck with an irritated look on her face. She was going to kill whoever this leader was with her bare hands even if this was the last thing she ever did. He was also so annoying elusive if his identity couldn't be discovered by either Kakuzu or Hidan.

"I'd be more worried if I were you." he commented suddenly. Sakura met his gaze.

"Why?"

"You're strong, I'll give you that, but this guy is doing what he's doing for two stupid as fuck reasons. The first is to take over Konoha. I have no idea why because it's _completely_ unoriginal, but the second reason is just to kill you."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. A lot of people wanted to kill her as it was, so this wasn't anything new.

"From what I've heard, this guy's obsessed with murdering you. Watch your back, alright? This ain't worth dying over."

She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about it. It'll take a hell of a lot to kill me."


	68. Here it Comes

Naruto slurped at his ramen with his face scrunched up in deep thought. He remembered Hidan from somewhere, but his identity was just slipping his mind. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sasuke and Itachi take their seats beside him . Sasuke called out his name twice before whacking the back of his head to gain his attention.

"Oh. Hey, Sasuke." greeted Naruto, "When did you get here?"

"A while back. I called your name, but you didn't answer."

"Ah, sorry, sorry. It's just... have you heard about someone named Hidan? He's a shinobi from Yugakure, has silver hair and pinkish eyes?"

"Hidan is one of the strongest shinobi Yugakure has to offer. He follows the Jashin Cult and is virtually immortal. The price on his head as of right now is 67.4 million ryo." Itachi informed in his usual, quiet voice.

"That's him! That really annoying bastard that Kakashi-sensei had to go on a joint mission with!" he exclaimed triumphantly, "It turns out he's another one of Sakura-chan's weird friends! I met him earlier and he's an asshole, dattebayo!"

Itachi's eye twitched at this revelation and set down his chopsticks. First there was Deidara, and now there was another one? He didn't know just how many fights to pick with these weird characters.

"Speak of the devil..." Sasuke muttered. Sakura's and presumably Hidan's voice fluttered through their ears as a pair of people walked past the shop. Sasuke and Naruto stepped out and watched them as they walked away.

"Why isn't he wearing a shirt?"

"That's what I said, 'ttebayo!"

When they returned to their stools, Itachi was gone and money was placed next to his bowl. Sasuke sighed and picked up his chopsticks. He remembered Hidan from far back and he was an _extreme_ asshole. If he was anything like that Deidara from a while back...

He sighed again.

Why did Sakura have to pick such weird friends?

* * *

Hidan looked over his shoulder to see a black-haired man walking towards them, an irritated hue in his eyes. A smirk tugged at the edge of Hidan's mouth as he let his sclera darken to black and his irises fade to white. When Sakura turned around, she grinned.

"Afternoon, Itachi-san! What brings you here?"

Itachi was about to respond before Hidan burst into laughter, leaning on Sakura for support.

"Oh my fucking Jashin, are you serious?" he laughed. He wiped a tear from his eye and slowly regained his composure. Itachi's eye twitched, annoyed at the interruption.

"And what are you so giddy about?" Sakura asked. Hidan grinned cheekily.

"Tall, dark, and handsome has the most gold in his aura I've ever fucking seen. Hella adorable. He's yours, ain't he?"

Itachi didn't know what that meant. He knew the range of Hidan's abilities from the use of his scythe to his belief in Jashin. He had also heard about Hidan's sight and how he could see other people's auras. He had no idea about the colors, though. Itachi looked at Sakura who had blushed a furious scarlet.

"Shut up, Hidan. I've got Zetsu and Deidara on my case already and I sure as hell don't need you making fun of me either." she hissed. Gold. _Love._ She was ultimately finished with all the teasing. When Kisame got wind of this...

She shook her head and smiled at Itachi.

"Anyway, was there something you needed?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing. I heard that you had another... visitor." was his honest reply. Hidan started wiggling his eyebrows and Sakura elbowed him in the ribs. Hard. So hard actually that Itachi swore he heard something crack. Sakura paid no mind to Hidan's doubled over form and stepped around him, the smile still on her face.

* * *

Ibiki sat atop Hokage Tower with Jounin Exam papers in his hands. He couldn't stop staring at Sakura's results. She was far stronger that his expectations and he wasn't sure if he like that path she was taking. But it was her life and he had no right to meddle. Ibiki sighed and looked out over the city. From his spot, he could see Sakura standing at the wall before the Hokage Tower, talking with Itachi Uchiha, and a foreign shinobi clutching his side on the ground.

Another one of her friends, he supposed.

"Ah, Ibiki Morino, is it?"

Ibiki looked back and saw Tsunade walk up to him with an arm stretched over her head.

"Hai. Good afternoon, Tsunade-sama." he acknowledged. Tsunade took a seat opposite him on the railing and gazed out over Konoha herself. It felt nice getting some fresh air, especially after being cooped up in the hospital for so long. She ran her eyes down to look at the people on the streets.

"So she really is back, huh..."

"Tsunade-sama?" Ibiki questioned. She glanced up at him with nostalgic eyes.

"Sakura Haruno. She's told me a lot about her life before she left. Even about you- the interrogator who brought her under his wing at the tender age of five."

Ibiki let a smile cross his face at the memory.

"I taught her everything I knew." he said, "I saw so much potential in her and tried to mold her into a better shinobi than I ever was. Heh. It really didn't take that much."

The smile was instantly wiped off his face when looked back down to the streets.

"I didn't think she'd come back." he muttered. Tsunade sighed.

"Neither did I."

* * *

Sakura eventually healed Hidan's ribs after she bid Itachi goodbye and before Hidan had to meet up with the Hokage. Alone once more, she planned on taking a trip down to the training fields to brush up on her taijutsu. She was lucky enough to pick up a sparring partner on her way there.

"Tenzou-san!" exclaimed Sakura. She gave her old friend a hug, "It's been so long since I saw you in Kiri!"

"It has, hasn't it?" he laughed, "Nowadays, it's Yamato. People don't really call me Tenzou anymore. Well... except Kakashi-senpai. Anyways, where are you of to?"

"I'm trying to get a quick workout before the second part of the exams. What d'you say, Tenzou-san? Care to join me?"

"Of course! But Sakura-chan, my name's Yamato now. Not Tenzou." he tried. Sakura smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up.

"Whatever you say, Tenzou-san."

* * *

The second part of the Jounin Exams came by the blink of an eye and everyone was crowded in the largest arena Konoha had to offer. The stadium was packed, and the remaining sixteen participants had absolutely no idea what was in store for them. Those competing stood in a straight line in the arena itself with their legs spread shoulder's length apart and their arms clasped behind their back. Minato was standing before them once more, a charming smile on his face.

"Good luck on getting this far, everyone." he announced. The area immediately went deathly quiet, "This place brings back memories, doesn't it? Just like the Chuunin Exams. I bet you're all wondering if you're fighting- and yes, you are. But not each other."

A door on the opposite side of the stadium and sixteen armor-clad ANBU filed in. The silver gleam of their arm guards flashed in the sun as they stood at attention. Minato gestured towards them.

"Jounin-to-be, these are your opponents. ANBU members who have taken time out of their busy schedules to help out with this part of the exam. Let's get started, shall we?"

Yamato was up in the crowd beside Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto. He was excited for the fights, just as everyone else was. But unlike everyone else, he was shaken up.

The day before he had agreed to spar with Sakura. He fully expected it to be challenging and adrenaline pumping, exciting even. But what he saw, what he was up against...

_He didn't stand a chance._

Minato stood on top of the railing and announced the beginning battle.

"First fight, Weasel vs. Sakura Haruno!"


	69. Fight!

It was an abnormally hot day outside and his porcelain mask was making his face more sweaty than he would have liked. He was standing at attention with the fifteen other ANBU members and ran his eyes over the participants. His eyes were locked with Sakura's, and she smiled at him.

"First fight: Weasel vs. Sakura Haruno!"

Weasel withheld a twitch.

The crowed cheered as Weasel and Sakura prepared themselves for the fight. Weasel lifted his head to scan the crowd. He spotted Naruto and Sasuke easily as Naruto was holding up a poster that had had 'BEAT HIS ASS SAKURA-CHAN' in neon orange marker. He was happy to note that Sasuke looked nothing short of embarrassed.

On the east side, he saw Hidan. He was unusually engrossed in the event and his normal arrogant smirk was wiped off his face. Suddenly, Hidan turned his head and exchanged a few words with the blue shinobi beside him.

"Weasel! Haruno! Take your places!"

Weasel stepped towards the southern side of the arena, Sakura towards the northern. His sharingan spun to life behind his mask and his hand was poised to make a grab for the tanto strapped to his lower back.

"Begin!"

His eyes widened as Sakura's form disappeared and a gray first reappeared just centimeters from his mask.

_'She's fast!'_

_BOOM!_

* * *

The southern wall crumbled on impact and fissures appeared all around the rest of the wall as well as the ground. Weasel dodged it, barely, and flipped behind her. From his spot, he could finally see just who he was up against. Sakura's body had turned dark gray. She turned to face him with the whites of her eyes turned black and her hands glowing a fiery blue.

_Chakra scalpel._

She readied herself.

"Let's dance, Itachi-san!"

The crowd was cheering. This jounin-to-be, Sakura Haruno, was absolutely amazing! They never expected for a participant to be so strong! The fight was exciting and a fantastic way to start the exams. But Naruto and Sasuke were stunned to silence.

"Has... Has Sakura-chan always been that strong?" murmured Naruto. He watched as Sakura's heel slammed into the ground, destroying the arena floor even more. Weasel breathed an enormous fireball as he leapt in the air to avoid the man-made earthquake.

"I don't—"

"She has." Kakashi replied, cutting Sasuke off. His lone eye slid towards his two students. "She always has."

On the opposite side of the arena, Hidan whistled and sat back into his seat. Sakura had improved tremendously since the last time he saw her. She was giving her boyfriend a hell of a time.

Sakura created a shadow clone and they both drew their katanas. They bolted towards Weasel from the sides and dealt three devastating blows, further demolishing the arena. Weasel's arm was caught in one of the blows and he sustained a cut from his shoulder to his elbow that was deep enough to see bone.

"The fight's fuckin' flashy."

"At least it's entertaining." Kisame said. He observed the way she handled her sword like it was an extension of herself, and that she moved gracefully with every step. He nodded to himself in approval.

"And that she put the sword to good use." he murmured to himself as an afterthought.

Seated a few rows above them, Zetsu was conversing quietly with himself.

"_**She looks like she's having too much fun.**_ She's not necessarily having fun... _**She's **_**smiling.**_** What else can you say about that?**_"

Weasel unleashed another fire jutsu, sending a volley of numerous small fireballs in Sakura's direction. Zetsu saw her smile grow a little wider as she re-sheathed her katana and slammed her heel into the ground. Water rose from the earth as a slicing jet and made it's way towards Weasel. With some of the extra water, she created a sword and cut through every fireball that bombarded her. At this point, she let her gray skin fade back to it's normal color.

"Well... her being happy is better than her getting angry, no? _**True**__._"

Tsunade was in the front row beside Shizune and was watching the fight with a smirk on her face. After a year of not seeing Sakura battle, she could honestly say that the girl had improved more than she expected.

With the release of Sakura's armor like skin, Weasel saw his opportunity. He lit twenty shuriken on fire and strategically shot them to try and render her legs useless. He thought he succeeded when he saw that her legs were mostly burnt and bloodied. Weasel winced at the thought of injuring her to that extent. But Sakura was unfazed.

She pooled chakra into her legs, making them glow a light green before it faded and leaving her with newly stitched skin and mostly faded burn marks. Weasel's jaw dropped the slightest amount.

"Tsunade-sama, she's incredible!"

Fugaku and Mikoto had similar reactions. Mikoto mostly. Her hands were clasped together as she watched the fight fully immersed. She cheered the both of them on finding it impossible to only cheer for either her eldest son or Sakura. Sakura was strong, she imagined, but this strength was on a whole other level.

Fugaku was silent and blank faced most of the time. If he were to answer honestly, he would say that his son had a definite disadvantage in this battle. He glanced upwards at the Hokage and his council and saw the impressed looks on their faces. If Danzo were still alive, Fugaku believed the insufferable man would bring something up along the lines of _'She's too dangerous. She should be cast out immediately.' _Like he had said about Tsunade.

He turned his attention back onto the battle field and noted that both Sakura's and Weasel's chakra were low. The fight had to end sometime soon.

Sakura created multiple bunshins and dashed towards Weasel at an amazing speed. The first bunshin had a cluster of senbon in her hand. Weasel dodged each one and slammed his fist into her gut, making her disappear into smoke. The second bunshin had her katana out. She made a few slashes, each blocked by Weasel's kunai, and he roundhouse kicked her into nothingness.

A third bunshin, he presumed, appeared above him. She had various openings and her fist drawn back. He sent a flurry of shuriken her direction and expected her to disappear into smoke upon impact.

She didn't.

_'She was the real one—?!'_

"SHANNARO!"

The entire arena shook.

* * *

Itachi was in the infirmary with nearly all his ribs fractured, his right broken, and cuts littering his body. Sakura was in the cot beside him, certainly in much better shape, as she had healed herself beforehand. Itachi looked towards his left.

"Your skills are exceptional, Sakura." he said. She scratched her cheek sheepishly and swung her legs over the side of her cot.

"I just trained a lot over the years." she smiled, "And I'm _really_ sorry for all of your injuries. I kinda got carried away. I'm sorry."

He held up his hand.

"Don't apologize. This was your examination, and I'm positive you will pass for your extraordinary performance."

There were two knocks on the door before a medic walked in with his clipboard. He smiled at the two.

"We ran a few tests on you, Uchiha-san, and you should be able to continue your duties after resting for a week. Another medic will stop by to start healing your ribs. And you, Haruno-san... well, you've taken care pretty much all your injuries, but we've noticed that the medicine for your condition has been running low. Would you like us to refill it for you?"

Itachi sent a sharp glance Sakura's way. She paid to mind to it and quickly shook her head.

"I would like to refill it myself, if you don't mind." she said. The medic nodded.

"Of course, Haruno-san. You may leave now if you wish. Uchiha-san, I'll get that medic for you right away."

He left the room. Itachi quickly sat up, holding a hand to his chest and pinning Sakura down with a hard stare.

"Condition? Sakura, are you sick?"

She said nothing and slid off the cot, avoiding his eyes. She walked towards the door.

"Sakura!"

Sakura looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"Lay back down, Itachi-san. You shouldn't strain your body. I'll be sure to visit you and bring some dango with me, okay?"

"Sak—"

She stepped out of the infirmary and closed the door behind her.


	70. Sai and the Seal

Sakura released a sigh she didn't know she was holding. She was intending to tell him about her condition _sometime_, but right now... She shook her head and walked down the hallway. It wasn't too long before a woman approached her. She was a couple of inches shorter than Sakura and had on an ecstatic grin.

"Hello! I'm sorry to bother you but I just had to congratulate you on your win in the exams! Oh, where are my manners! My name is Akemi Ueno. I'm not quite sure if you remember me..."

It took Sakura a few seconds.

"The Akemi in the slave line eleven years ago?!"

The woman brightened ten fold.

"You do remember!"

"I'm surprised that you still do too, Akemi-san." Sakura laughed, "Wow, it's been such a long time. What are you doing all the way here in Konoha?"

They walked down the hallway to exit the arena, Akemi chatting amiably along the way.

"My family and I decided to take a vacation here. My husband's a shinobi too and wanted to see just how strong Konoha really is. But after seeing your fight, I think you really scared him!" she grinned, "It was completely by chance that I saw you in the exams and I'm so happy that I did."

Akemi stopped and took Sakura's hands into her own.

"I can't thank you enough for saving my life that day, Sakura-chan. Without your help, I would've been a slave. Most likely dead. There aren't enough words for me to tell you how grateful I am!"

Her eyes were brimming with tears and Sakura couldn't help but feel a warm sensation in her chest.

"Akemi-san..."

Akemi wiped her eyes and kept on smiling.

"I've even told my daughter, Saki, about you. She gets really excited whenever I tell her the story of how you saved me. The more kid friendly version, of course. And when she saw you fight, she was absolutely astonished! Saki always tells me how she wants to be a great kunoichi like you, the one she's named after." she said. Sakura was speechless. She stared down at the smaller woman with wide eyes. To have someone named after her...

"... Could I meet her?" Sakura questioned.

"Of course!" Akemi exclaimed immediately, "She'd be ecstatic!"

"Then I'll meet you at the entrance of the arena when the exams are over."

Akemi nodded enthusiastically before waving and making her way back to her seat up in the stands. Sakura stood in the empty hallway for a while longer, listening to the crowd's cheers as the second fight commenced. She saw Hidan, Kisame, and Zetsu in the crowd like she expected. Good, they were where she wanted them to be.

Sakura popped a soldier pill into her mouth before re-entering the arena and looking for a place to sit. Up near the top in the shade underneath where the Hokage and the council sat, she found the perfect seat.

::

"Mind if I sit here?"

Sai looked up from his sketchbook, startled.

"O-Oh not at all, Haruno-san! Go ahead." he stammered. Sakura eased into the seat and kept her eyes on the fight in front of her.

"You're drawing the fights?" she asked.

"Yes. I've been at a loss for what to draw and figured that this would be a good opportunity to try and jog my imagination.." he replied. Sakura glanced to the side, a small smile on her face.

"No offense, Sai-san, but you look like someone who could be easily manipulated." she stated. His shoulders sagged just the tiniest bit.

"I know. I get that a lot."

The sun was high up in the sky, making the shade they were seated in far darker. Sai suddenly stopped drawing, his charcoal pencil sitting between his pale fingers. His face betrayed no emotion, but his eyes said it all.

"I know what you want me to tell you, Haruno-san, and I can't. _You know this._" he bit out.

"If you were on his side, you wouldn't be conversing with me normally, now would you? I can see it in you, Sai-san. You don't want this. You never did. If you tell me now, innocent people don't have to die."

She waited patiently for him to reply, but all she was given was an incoherent mumble. Unfortunately, she understood every word. As she did, she saw white feathers falling from the sky.

"Shit."

Sakura condensed a small globe of chakra in her hand and shot it up into the sky before shunshinning away. Sai bowed his head.

"I'm sorry..."

::

When Kisame and Hidan first noticed the feathers, they knew that a genjutsu could befall them in the next thirty seconds. When they saw the glowing blue chakra ball launched in the air, they scrambled out of their seats and sped out of the arena.

Zetsu was already gone.

::

Red alert was issued immediately. A third of Konoha's shinobi were incapacitated due to the genjutsu, and the rest were in a frenzy trying to figure out just what in _seven hells_ was going on. All able-bodied shinobi gathered in the arena below the Fourth and awaited his orders. As Minato spoke, Sasuke's sharingan flared to life and he glanced at the shinobi surrounding him.

Sakura wasn't there.

In the middle of Minato's instructions, a purple barrier began to rise from the eastern side. It made it halfway over Konoha before it stopped, faltered, and receded back to where it came from. Minato quickly gestured to half the shinobi before him.

"Right side! Go to the location of the barrier! Left side! Keep in front of Konoha and protect any on-coming threats from entering the village!"

The barrier wobbled to life again, then collapsed once more.

"Go!"

The shinobi gave a chorused 'Hai, Hokage-sama!' before diffusing to rush over to their posts. Team Seven, plus Yamato minus Sai, were part of the barrier team and were rushing to the forest northeast of the village.

Almost immediately, they were met with resistance. Blank-eyed shinobi stood in their path armed with all sorts of weapons. Sasuke was appalled at what he saw. Their chakra... it was forcefully being pumped through their bodies. Worst of all was that the chakra wasn't even _theirs_.

"They're dead."he hissed. One of the enemies looked Sasuke straight in the eye.

"We are. But it wasn't our choice to make."

::

Back in the infirmary, Itachi was sat up in his cot with a medic healing his wounds. his eyes were furrowed in deep thought. Sakura didn't look sick in the slightest bit, but he knew how strong she was and how much she didn't want to show weakness. There could've been a million things wrong with her, but he wouldn't be able to tell because of how well she was able to keep to herself.

Perhaps... she had gotten sick during her five year absence? Impossible. The doctors here wouldn't have know about it.

The sound of an alarm blared in Itachi's ears, making him shoot up to his feet on instinct.

"Uchiha-san! I haven't finished healing your wounds!" the medic exclaimed.

"Red alert has been issued and it's my duty to protect Konoha." he said. He bowed slightly and shunshinned to the battle field. Half a mile away from the village, Konoha shinobi were being outnumbered 3:1. They were holding their own rather well despite being nearly overwhelmed.

"Nii-san!"

Itachi spun around at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

"Get to the barrier masters before they can succeed in covering Konoha!" he shouted. Itachi nodded once before speeding off to where the purple barrier kept forming and disappearing. But two people were already there. One he recognized as Hidan whose skin had blackened and had what looked like white skeletal imprints on the visible parts of his body. The other was the Monster of the Mist, Kisame Hoshigaki, brandishing his new blade Samehada.

"We got it covered here, Uchiha!" Hidan called out. He tore through a barrier master with his scythe and slammed down a paper seal when the purple barrier began to rise again.

"Find the leader!" Kisame commanded, "You get to him, you stop the invasion! Sakura's already there!"

Itachi's ears perked up at the mention of her name. These were foreign shinobi and he didn't trust them at all. Quickly, he weighed his options before taking Kisame's words and sprinting off to where Sakura was. He arrived to see a hooded figure flanked by two others. Sakura's own stance was lax and it seemed that she was unconcerned of the happenings around her. She didn't acknowledge him even when he stepped up beside her.

"Two against three? Fair enough, I suppose, considering one of you is a prodigy and the other a monster." the enemy mused. Sakura grinned.

"A monster? I'm glad you think of me so highly!" she laughed, "Really, I'm honored!"

"I'm glad you like the title. What better name could I give someone who killed hundreds upon hundreds single-handedly?"

"None other, I'm sure."

An unsettling feeling weighed down in Itachi's stomach as the conversation progressed. The atmosphere soon turned sinister with a smile still situated on Sakura's face.

"You know, I can't wait until I watch the life slowly drain from your eyes." he sneered. Itachi tensed, but Sakura remained completely calm.

"Why me?" she asked curiously.

"Danzo was my key to the village. He was the link to the place I would eventually overrun. My plan was _perfect_. My puppet was _perfect_. But you were the one who ruined it all! I met you once as Hawk masquerading as you Jun-sensei and I deemed you another pawn in it all! But I was wrong. Horribly wrong. And then you murdered my best asset." he spat. Sakura cocked her head to the side and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Don't you think it's a bit rude for you to know my name without you introducing yourself?"

"Ah. My apologies."

The stranger, known as the Master amongst his followers, pulled back his hood and revealed chin length gray hair.

"My name is Shin, Sai's older brother. Nice to meet you."

The two behind him charged forward.

::

Sakura pulled out her katana and blocked the incoming fist of the larger opponent. He was shaking as he tried to resist what the jutsu was trying to make him do. His own hood flew back, revealing spiked up orange hair and apologetic eyes that tried not to cry.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sakura! Dodge all my attacks!"

"... Juugo...?"

Her stance stalled and she was kicked though the nearest tree. Itachi went over to help her, but his own opponent sent rock spikes in his direction to separate him from her. She slowly stood up and slipped her sword back into its scabbard. Juugo sighed in relief before smiling at her.

"You're alright... thank Kami. But you really aren't hurt, right? I'm sorry if I did." he said. She shook her head.

"I'm fine." she whispered. Sakura formed a hand sign and her skin flushed gray. "Let's go."

They fought for a long while with mostly taijutsu, but the battle could be seen going nowhere. Sakura simply refused to hit any vital points.

"Sakura!" Juugo cried, "You have to hit me! You're stronger than this!"

She slammed her fist into the ground and leapt onto the edge of the crater she made.

"I... Juugo, I can't let you down a second time!"

Her and Juugo exchanged a few kicks and slices before they were locked together. He held both of Sakura's wrists in front of him and held them apart to ensure she didn't perform any jutsu.

"Sakura, use your strength to stab me." Juugo commented softly.

"How can I?" she murmured, "I let you die once. How can I do it a second time?"

"Then let me make the decision for you." a new voice seethed. Two long blades erupted from Juugo's body, piercing both him and Sakura in the stomach and the left shoulder. Blood crawled up Sakura's throat and spilled past her lips. Her lungs were reacting terribly to the strain. She removed herself from the swords and fell to her knees.

"Sakura!"

Shin stepped around from behind Juugo, a cheeky smile on his face.

"Forget about me, did you? Tsk, tsk, Sakura-chan. Maybe you're not as formidable as I thought you were." he sighed. He took out a kunai with one hand and grabbed Juugo's hair with the other.

"But this will work out to my advantage." he said. Shin aligned the tip of the kunai with Juugo's jugular. "I didn't get the chance to personally kill him the first time around, so I guess you could say this is the perfect opportunity, eh?"

Sakura raised her head and Shin took a glance at her eyes. Fury seeped through her glare like a chemical spill and presented the color of the bottom of an abyss.

"_**Infuuin...**_" she growled. A purple diamond slowly formed on her forehead.

"_**Kai.**_"

The diamond bled into black markings all over her face. She held up her left hand and molded it into the tiger seal.

"_**Sozo Saisei.**_"

Her injuries steamed as they healed themselves and she pushed herself onto her feet. A cruel grin stretched across her face as she took the time to crack every single one of her fingers.

"_**I'm sorry. I don't believe we've met before.**_" she greeted mockingly, "_**I'm known as Inner Sakura and I'm going to be the cause of your death today!**_"

::

Itachi grimaced as he blocked a barrage of kunai and blew another fireball in the direction of his opponent. He was winning the battle, but it was not much closer to ending than he had hoped for. His opponent, a middle aged shinobi, was a Hyuuga. His mind wasn't only focused on this fight, but what the mastermind had revealed to him but moments before. Danzo. What did Sakura have anything to do with Danzo?

"I really do apologize for this." the Hyuuga said, "I would never do so much as to harm Konohagakure as I am doing so right now."

Itachi grunted and launched an explosive tag.

"Is there a reason to why Shin would go to such extreme measures?" Itachi questioned. He slid his tanto from its sheath on his lower back and blocked the downward slice of a kunai.

"We were reanimated a little while before actually going for the attack. He kept me and that young man, Juugo, close to him, saying that we were going to accompany him during the main attack." he explained, jerking his head to where Juugo and Sakura were fighting, "I heard much of the plan. Put a barrier over Konoha, take it over, and anything else a madman like him would say. But he'd ramble on about something particular too. 'I need to kill Sakura Haruno.' 'Sakura Haruno will die by my hands.'. He talked about that almost as if he were _obsessed_ with her death."

A few more blows were exchanged between the two shinobi.

"What had Sakura ever done?"

The Hyuuga's eyes shadowed.

"... You haven't seen the true extent of her power, I assume."

A tidal wave of an enormous presence of chakra crashed into the both of them so quickly, harshly, and out of the blue that it was enough to send them stumbling a few steps. No, it wasn't as great or malevolent as that of a tailed beast, but it felt angry- thirsty for blood. Itachi cast his eyes over at the source and felt his breath still in his throat.

That raw anger and power was being emitted from none other than Sakura. Her eyes were darker than anything he had ever seen and a cruel smile was bestowed on the lips he had only seen happiness on.

"_**Oh trust me, I'm as formidable as the rumors lead me to be. I'm every bit of violent, every bit of unrelenting, every bit of dangerous. The blood that stains your hands compared to mine is a joke.**_" she sneered. If Itachi hadn't been looking at Shin's expression, he would've missed the fear that flashed on his face for half a second. Quickly, he composed himself and scoffed.

"Enough chatter!" he snapped. A concealed sword shot out from underneath his sleeve and he thrust it towards Sakura's face. She tilted her head and caught the blade in her hand with a death grip, unflinching when red began dribbling down her arm. She leaned forward.

"_**Enough chatter? I'm only getting started, Shin.**_"

She snapped the blade in half and tossed it aside. He grimaced and moved his hand to grab another weapon, but a vine shot up from the ground and tied itself around his wrist. Two more came, doing the same thing to his ankles.

"_**But I won't prolong this; people are dying and the dead should stay dead.**_"

Sakura extended her arm and placed the palm of her hand on Shin's jugular."

"_**A shame.**_"

She gripped tightly, fingers digging into his skin, then ripped out his throat. Shin fell forward, limp body resting on Sakura's shoulder until she pushed him off to crumple on the ground. Itachi watched, horrified, as she brought her hand to her mouth and licked the blood.

"_**Your bitterness has even seeped into your bloodstream.**_"

A pair of hands, one white one black, reached above the ground to pull Shin's body down with them. Sakura slipped off her dirtied gloves and nicked her thumb with her teeth and summoned a gigantic slug. The markings on her face receded into a purple diamond on her forehead and her eyes faded to their normal green.

"The people of Konoha need healing, Katsuyu-sama. Would you please disperse and heal them?"

"Of course."

Finally with the end to Shin's jutsu, the undead's bodies began to glow. Sakura turned to Juugo, now free from being controlled. A tired, wobbly smile creeped onto her face.

"Nice to see you again, after all these years." he said. He smiled and reached out to her, grasping the chain around her neck and pulling the orange gem pendant into his hand.

"You kept the necklace." he remarked softly.

"I never took it off."

With a sigh, Sakura's eyes fluttered shut and she slumped against him, unconscious and exhausted. Juugo caught her and wrapped his arms around her gently. He raised his eyes to Itachi who was a few steps away from them, watching Sakura with the utmost concern. Juugo brought one arm under Sakura's legs and hefted her into a bridal-style carry and approached the wary Uchiha.

"You'll take care of her, won't you?" he asked hopefully. Itachi took her into his own arms and brought her as close to him as possible.

"I will."

His attention went from the stranger to the woman in his arms, tired and battered, but still beautiful.

"I always will."

Relief washed over Juugo as he began to deteriorate, the pieces of him disappearing in the wind and returning to where they should never have been taken from. When the last of him had gone, a whisper had remained, twirling through Itachi's ears and undoubtedly Sakura's as well.

"_Thank you._"


	71. Lastly

She looked... dead.

Her body was pale and almost matched the color of the bed sheets she lay on. Her pulse was very, very shallow and one almost couldn't tell that it was there. Tsunade said that she would be alright.

_If she was alright, why wasn't she awake?_

Itachi had been by Sakura's side every day since she was rushed to the hospital. He hadn't slept or eaten in days, and as a result, he nearly lost five pounds. Tsunade burst into the room one day with an irritated scowl on her face.

"Alright, Uchiha! It's about damn time you get your ass outta here!" she snapped.

"I am not leaving her alone."

"Well too damn bad kid 'cause I'm calling the shots here!"

She pulled Itachi up from his seat and tossed him out of the room, "Eat something, take a shower, and get some sleep then maybe, just maybe, I'll let you back on these grounds."

Tsunade shut the door in his face. Disgruntled and left with no other choice, Itachi sighed and left the hospital.

::

Itachi returned bright and early the following morning. Sasuke tagged along with him and they met up with Naruto, who was carrying a huge bundle of white lilies in his arms. The three of them walked to the hospital without a word and stumbled upon Tsunade herself in the hospital lobby.

"So you came back, did you? And you brought others along too, how nice." she mused, earning her an exasperated look from Shizune, "Sakura's stable so she's allowed to have visitors today. There's two up there right now."

Itachi was already walking down the hallway with his lips drawn into a firm line and his hands clenched into fists. Sasuke stared at him with a hint of worry in his eyes. He had never seen his brother so worked up before. When the three of them arrived at her room, they were met with visitors and a sight they didn't expect to see.

Kisame Hoshigaki was at the foot of Sakura's bed with her medical clipboard, reading her papers with a critical eye and Hidan was sitting on the stool at her bedside, a worried look on his face. The table in the room was filled with flowers:: sunflowers, roses, freesias, lilacs, origami ones... and tacked on the wall beside them were a couple of crayon drawings.

"Yo." Kisame greeted without raising his eyes. Hidan got up from the stool and smiled at the newcomers as he bowed.

"Nice to meet you."

Naruto's grip tightened around the lilies.

"We... We already met... You're Hidan, dattebayo!"

Hidan straightened and scratched his cheek.

"You met Hidan, but not me. I'm Hideo, one of Hidan's least dominant personalities. I'm also called Mr. Cosmopolitan, but that's not really important..." he added quietly. Hideo quickly sat back on the stool and looked at Kisame.

"Well? What do those documents say, Hoshigaki-san?"

Naruto placed his bundle of flowers somewhere on the table and turned to gaze at the foreign shinobi in the room. Here were more of Sakura's weird friends who just happened to get even weirder, and he hadn't been in for five minutes.

"I think her lung condition got worse."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hideo froze, but Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"You know about it?" he questioned quietly.

"I found out on accident when she was fourteen. She has Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage. It's already life threatening enough as it is, but she made it worse when she activated the seal on her forehead." Kisame sighed. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed as he went through his memories. A lung condition? How long did she have it? Surely not when she was in Konoha... Someone would've noticed. He berated himself internally for possibly not noticing if she really did have it when they were still on Team Seven.

"How long have you known Sakura, Hoshigaki-san?"

A whisper of a smile crossed Kisame's face.

"I've known her for thirteen years."

::

It was nighttime now and only Kisame and Itachi were left in the room. The older man told stories of Sakura's youth- how they first met, her irregular visits to Kiri, and the times she spent with his family like she was their eldest daughter. Naruto and Sasuke didn't know how to take this new found information about their teammate. The girl they thought they knew perfectly well was actually a stranger this entire time.

Itachi kept silent as Kisame recounted his memories. He knew that Sakura was different than everyone else, but he never imagined the extent of her life outside the village.

Kisame looked over his shoulder and out the window.

"It's getting kind of late." he said as he stood up, "Maybe you should go home too."

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek and stared at the motionless woman in the bed. Kisame clapped him on the back, sending him stumbling forward.

"Don't worry so much, Uchiha. She's strong." he assured with a toothy grin. He stretched an arm over his head and brandished a wide yawn before leaving the room. Itachi let out a silent sigh and stood next to the table that was overflowing with flowers. An easy feeling washed over him when he realized so many people cared for her. He only hoped that she was never truly alone when she was gone those five years.

Among the flowers was her kunai pouch, slightly burnt but otherwise in perfect condition. He wouldn't have spared it a second thought if he hadn't seen an old worn paper poking out from the front pocket. He pulled it out and unfolded it.

_1) Make a friend._ _**Check.**_

A list?

_2) Go cloud-watching. __**Check.**_

_3) Go star-gazing. __**Check.**_

_4) See the ocean. __**Check.**_

_5) Walk on the beach. __**Check.**_

_6) Try chocolate. __**Check.**_

_7) Try dango. __**Check.**_

_8) See a rainbow. __**Check.**_

_9) Witness a snowfall. __**Check.**_

_10) See a blood moon. __**Check.**_

_11) See the Aurora Borealis. __**Check.**_

Itachi flipped the page over to see one more. It wasn't written as sloppily as the rest and looked more recent with better grade ink.

_**12) Love someone. **__**Check.**_

His eyebrows furrowed. He didn't think this was Sakura's. Many of the things listed could've been done within the village.

So... whose was it?

::

He visited her everyday without fail, much to everyone else's surprise. Because of this, he was able to speak with more people Sakura associated herself with. One of them had been Ibiki, her first sensei and the father-figure for much of her youth. He never saw it fit to engage in conversation with him outside of business, but as he did, he realized that Ibiki wasn't much of the stern, unrelatable interrogator every shinobi thought he was. Ibiki was just as human as the rest of them, and he cared for Sakura like she was his own.

An odd person he came across was Zetsu, a shinobi from Kusagakure. He was the most unusual character he'd ever met. Zetsu was two colors split down the middle with venus flytrap _things_ attached to his upper body who also, in fact, had two separate voices. He had also known Sakura since she was a mere five years old, much to Itachi's disbelief.

"... How did you two meet?"

"_**I tried to kill the little brat.**_ I must say, she was quite persuasive for her age."

Zetsu cackled, and Itachi decided he didn't like him all too much.

"But I can't say I'm not worried." he admitted, "_**She's never been unconscious for so long.**_"

Those were the only words exchanged between the two of them for the duration of the day.

::

It was a month later when Itachi walked into her hospital room to see her sitting upright in her bed. He had never felt to relieved to see her that he nearly fainted at the wave of consolation that washed over him.

"Sakura..."

She looked at him and waved.

"Hi, Itachi-san." she greeted. She went back to looking back to looking at her surroundings with her cheeks puffed out. He walked over to the bed and gathered her up in his arms, not minding the way she tensed up.

"You've been asleep for so long..." he whispered, "One whole month."

Sakura flushed bright pink.

"R-Really? Well... I guess I missed a lot, haven't I? After I get released from the hospital, I suppose I can get a refill on my meds and make sure my apartment is in order. Maybe I should go visit Naruto and Sasuke...? I think Ibiki-sensei's worried. Or probably..."

A flash shone in Itachi's dark eyes as he narrowed them. He let her go and stared her down.

"When you're released, we're going on a date."

"E-Eh?"

"You're going on a date with me."

Itachi saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes before she smiled and leaned backwards.

"Only if you ask nicely, Itachi-san!"

"No." he answered immediately. He crossed his arms and glared at her, but couldn't stop the quirk to his lips. Just who did she think she was, demanding such incredulous things from a high ranking shinobi such as himself? Sakura sighed mockingly.

"Then I guess I can't go with you." she muttered dejectedly. Itachi pushed down a chuckle of disbelief. He was not getting played by her a second time. He wasn't. He was Itachi Uchiha, and mind games did not work on him.

"You will go out with me."

"But I won't until you ask nicely."

"Why should I?"

"Why won't you? Is your nice bone broken or something?"

"Hn."

Itachi found the conservation extremely nostalgic, so much so that it was bringing a smile to his lips. Mikoto was watching the scene from the doorway, grinning cheerily as she held Sakura's get well soon present in her arms. Kisame was there as well, slightly miffed that Sakura was getting asked out.

Mikoto could only remember one time when Itachi acted like this- and she was glad. She was glad that someone had once again poked through a bit of her eldest son's shell, and she could only hope that Sakura could break through even more.

He could not believe this. At all. Finally, after a multi-second stare off, he conceded.

"Will you please go out with me?"

"Nope." she chirped, "Say: 'Will you please go out with me, Sakura-chan?'"

Mikoto covered her mouth to hide her glee, and Kisame snorted silently. Itachi swallowed down his laughter.

"Will you please go out with me, Sakura-chan?"

The girl grinned.

"Of course, Itachi-san! Why didn't you ask that before?!"

Kisame hit his head against the wall, muttering something like _'I knew this day would come'_, and spent the next few seconds wallowing in his misery. Mikoto, though, was incredibly pleased. Who knew that Sakura could make her son so polite?

_**:: End ::**_

_Looking for more stories to read?_

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**Akatsuki Babysitters:** Nagato took advantage of his daughter's unusual circumstance and used it to help his organization become more human. "Do not argue this with me, Konan. Sakura will fix them whether they know so or not."

**Haruno by Name, Hoshigaki by Blood: **Sakura was born and raised in Amegakure. Her father was an Akatsuki- but she didn't mind. She loved him for who he was and what he did didn't matter to her. He trained her, loved her, and was was the best dad she could ever ask for. Then, there came the attack. She thinks they've been killed, and they think she's been slaughtered in cold blood.

**Stumble:** After dying, Sasori and Sakura- once sworn enemies- never imagined being brought back to the world in the living. But they were back in a much, much simpler time. "I'm five years old." "Calling you brat now takes on a whole new meaning." Time Travel AU


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